The previous two hosts were in 2016 Abkhazia (NW Georgia by the Black Sea), winners from 2016 who beat Ellan Vannin (Isle of Man) and in 2014 in Ostersund, Sweden (we have heard of the local football club haven't we?).
The major sponsors include PaddyPower, Goal.com, Eventim, and Bateman's Sports.
Matches are played on Non-League grounds, such as Sutton United's Gander Green Lane, with the final on June 9th at 6pm at Enfield Town's Queen Elizabeth II's Stadium, with Mark Clattenburg in charge.
Mark will be able to introduce the "Green Card" which means the offending player will be substituted (only)-the idea of sponsor Paddy Power.
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/05/23/mark-clattenburg-green-lighted-to-use-green-cards-at-conifa-world-football-cup/
Other matches are hosted at clubs like Slough Town, Bracknell Town, Fisher and Carshalton Athletic.
The competition is for 16 stateless "people's", unaffiliated regions with FIFA, minority states and so on. who have little finance and who have some players who could play at the higher level. The "scouts" will be out.
Mat Guy is an author who has taken an interest in this tournament and his latest book, "Minnows United-Adventures at the Fringes of the Beautiful Game", alerts us to the plight of some states. Finance being a main issue.
Accommodation is mainly at student residences and other cheap and available places.
Northern Cyprus might be regarded as one of the best and inevitably there are occasional mis-matches such as Abkhazia v Chagos Islands was a definite one way game but the crowd supported this and supported the Islanders, who thought this was a wonderful occasion and experience.
In Group A are: Barawa a Somali diaspora in England, Ellan Vannin (Isle of Man), Tamil Eelam (a diaspora of Sri Lankan Tamils from various parts of England, Canada and Switzerland and Cascadia (USA/Canada).
B: Abkhazia, Northern Cyprus, Karpatalja (Hungary) and Tibet.
C: Padania (N Italy), Szekely Land (Romania), Tuvalu (S.Oceania), Matabeleland (S Africa).
D: Panjab, United Koreans of Japan, Western Armenia (Turkey) and Kabylia (N Algeria)
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