🇪🇭 Mappa della geografia calcistica del Sahara Occidentale realizzata da me 🇪🇭 There is no politics in my maps; I simply describe football as it is. Thank you for understanding. Western Sahara is a North African territory disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front, which declared its independence through the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Although Morocco has occupied much of this territory since 1975 (with local teams playing within the Moroccan football system), the Sahrawi population continues to live in the area, primarily east of the borders reclaimed by the independence movement known as the Polisario Front. However, the war caused the destruction of many settlements in the reclaimed zone; consequently, most Sahrawi refugees live in camps near the city of Tindouf, Algeria, while others have been forced to flee to Spain and other European countries, creating a genuine diaspora. The resilience of the Sahrawi people has, however, been kept alive through football as well, thanks to the establishment of the Federación Saharaui de Deportes (Sahrawi Sports Federation). The organization first affiliated with the NF-Board and later with CONIFA. In collaboration with the @oficialfsd SADR's Ministry of Occupied Territories and Diaspora and the Ministry of Youth and Sport, it strives to keep the Sahrawi cause alive by organizing the Copa RASD, a tournament played in Spain and France featuring Sahrawi diaspora teams from across Europe. The most recent edition of the tournament, held in Spain in 2022, saw the participation of six teams from France, the Basque Country, and Andalusia. Official tournaments are organized in the refugee camps around Tindouf, involving numerous teams from all five camps: the Republic Cup (played on February 27), a second tournament on May 20, and the Sheikh Khatri Memorial Tournament—all of which are knockout competitions featuring regional qualifiers leading up to a final stage. The first genuine league championship between refugee camp teams is also about to begin.

Abkhazia is to submit a bid to host the 2028 CONIFA World Football Cup. If successful, the tournament will coincide with the 35th anniversary of victory in the 1992–1993 Patriotic War of the People of Abkhazia. abkhazworld.com/aw/sports/32…

🇦🇶 Mappa della geografia calcistica dell'Antartide realizzata da me 🇦🇶 To create this map, I drew upon the incredible work of @PatsFballBlog , who discusses the history of football in #Antarctica in depth on his blog. I would like to thank him and recommend that you read it: patmcguinness.blogspot.com/2… The map primarily shows the Antarctic Peninsula—the continent's warmest region and the area with the highest concentration of scientific research bases. It marks all the bases known to have hosted football matches. Indeed, the sport is played mainly as a pastime—either among members of the same base or between personnel from neighboring bases—serving as a symbol of friendship. Matches against crews from the bases' supply ships or scientific ships or tourists are also frequent. The UK’s @BAS_News Rothera base is the most active in terms of football, particularly in recent times; #Chilean and #Argentine bases are also active, though they host matches less frequently than the UK base.