Sapmi and Northern Cyprus, who played in CONIFA’s first-ever official women’s match in November 2018, have been kept apart in the draw for this summer’s first-ever World Football Cup.

Northern Cyprus lineup in Group A alongside hosts Székely Land and Chameria, while Sapmi will face the Kernow Football Alliance and Cascadia in Group B.

Each team will play the others in their group stage once, with placement matches to follow, meaning everyone will play at least three matches.

CONIFA President, Per-Anders Blind, said: “For me it is a huge honour to present the first-ever Women’s World Football Cup to you. It has been a long journey but it is time to reach one of the most important moments in our organisation’s history and to finally introduce women’s football for real.

“Without women’s football we are incomplete and cover only 50% of the world so I want to take the opportunity to congratulate our Global Women’s Football Director, Håkan Kuorak, our Vice-President, Kristóf Wenczel, and our Tournament Director, Orcun Kamali, for a world class contribution and to finally make this competition come to life.”

Global Women’s Football Director, Håkan Kuorak, added: “I am very proud that we have been able to get the women on the pitch so we can play this first CONIFA women’s tournament. Let’s hope that covid-19 doesn’t stop it. I wish good luck to all the participants.”