Meet the only country in the world without a national football team

They are the only country on Earth without an 11-a-side national team but the Marshall Islands are hopeful of that changing in the near future.

The group of volcanic islands were occupied by the US during World War Two, where they used the location for their nuclear tests, before becoming a sovereign nation in 1986.

Fast forward to the present day and the Marshall Islands are now hoping to join world football as they look to not only create a team, but to become competitive while doing so.

At the forefront of their efforts to venture into the sport is Englishman Lloyd Owers, who has been appointed as technical director for the country.

Speaking to the BBC, Owers revealed how the venture started and his motivation behind the idea.

"It started via emails, then it became easier to speak via WhatsApp because of the time difference," said Owers.

"Then it got to the stage where I was asked to put together a proposal alongside my own philosophy on how I saw the game growing."

Owers would go on to add: "On a personal level it was the opportunity to be part of something that was as big as this; the only nation in the world without a defined national team.

"But it was also the ambition of it. The federation wants to be part of the OFC, but also wants to eventually become a FIFA member.

"They don't just want to be playing against local countries, they want to be part of a bigger programme.

"We know we want to be part of World Cup qualifiers. We want be part of the OFC Championship, we want be part of mainstream football.

"I think in 10 years, if we keep going the way the federation wants to push their aims and ambitions, there's no reason that wouldn't happen."

The country hopes to drive more attention to the dangers of climate change, such as rising sea levels, through the creation of their football team.

Image credit: Getty

The federation have since released their first shirt and the hope was that Marshallese players would wear it during their first game in summer 2024.

Well, back in July, the tiny nation hosted a futsal tournament against Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia in Majuro.

It wasn't quite an 11-a-side game but the progress is certainly an encouraging sign for the future.