CONIFA 2024 World Cup Groups Announced

CONIFA, the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, has announced the group stage draw for the fourth edition of the CONIFA World Football Cup (CWFC) taking place in Kurdistan between 25th June and 6th July this year.

CONIFA is the international governing body representing the international football teams of nations, minorities, isolated dependencies, and cultural regions not affiliated with FIFA.

The tournament consists of a group stage followed by a knockout round.

The groups are as follows:

Group A

Kurdistan

Tamil Eelam

Kernow

Kashmir

Group B

South Ossetia

Panjab

Raetia

Canton Ticino

Group C

Kárpátalja

Kabylia

Tibet

(TBC)

Group D

Székely Land

Abkhazia

ANBM

(TBC)

The 2024 CWFC is the first edition of the tournament held since 2018, owing to the cancellation of North Macedonia 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Reigning champions Kárpátalja, who represent the Hungarian minority in Carpathian Ruthenia,

return to defend their title. Champions of the 2016 edition Abkhazia, a mostly unrecognised state inside of Georgia, will also appear at the tournament.

Champions of the debut CWFC in 2014 County of Nice have yet to appear at another tournament since their victory. Top of the CONIFA Men’s Ranking Northern Cyprus are perhaps the most noticeable omission from the tournament thus far.

Celtic-recognised state Kernow, known as Cornwall in English, will compete at their first CWFC in Kurdistan alongside Kashmir from Asia, Canton Ticino from Europe, and ANBM (Asocicación Nacional de Balompié Mexicano) from North America.