Pushing for FIFA Recognition for the Marianas

I never stop being impressed by the incredible talent we have on the soccer field. The boys, girls, men, and women who represent the Marianas internationally are a tremendous source of pride for me and for our entire community. Despite the outstanding work of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association in training our youth and building our program, FIFA has continued to deny the CNMI recognition to field our own team. This request is not unusual. In fact, 24 other non-sovereign areas  including Gibraltar, the Faroe Islands, and Curaçao are FIFA members, along with Guam, American Samoa, USVI, and Puerto Rico. With the United States preparing to host the next World Cup in Los Angeles, it is time to correct this inequity. That is why I wrote to President Trump requesting his help to secure FIFA recognition for the Marianas. Sports diplomacy is part of our foreign policy, and it is long past due that the CNMI be represented on the world stage.