Non-FIFA international football is the segment of international football that is not overseen by FIFA. FIFA is the international governing body of association football, overseeing football globally and with running international representative matches. However, some international football takes place outside its purview. This often consists of matches involving sub-national entities such as islands, colonies, or autonomous regions. Representative matches also occur involving states with limited international recognition who are unable to qualify for FIFA membership. There are also a limited number of states whose representative teams are not affiliated to FIFA. Historically, a number of competitions occurred outside FIFA's auspices. Member associations are national associations, usually affiliated to continental confederations which are subordinate to FIFA.
National teams
Broadly speaking, non-FIFA national teams can be categorised as one of the following:
States
Teams representing eight small sovereign states - the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, and the Vatican City - have played international football but are not affiliated to FIFA. Two of those states - Kiribati and Tuvalu - are Associate Members of Oceania Football Confederation, but not its parent organisation.
The United Kingdom is represented in FIFA through its four constituent countries (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland). During the 1940s and 1950s, a United Kingdom national football team was assembled on a few occasions to play friendly matches: these are not considered full internationals by FIFA.
Autonomous (or autonomy-seeking) regions and unrecognised states
A second category encompasses regions of larger nations which have a history of autonomy. They may have already achieved a degree of self-governance (for example the autonomous communities of Spain including Catalonia, Galicia, and the Basque Country which usually play just one game a year, traditionally at Christmas), or be seeking it (like for example the French region of Brittany). However, it is necessary to distinguish the Basque team from the others, as it has come to represent not just the Basque autonomous community of Spain, but the greater Basque region, also incorporating Navarre and the French Basque Country. The Republic of Srpska as a state entity with a high degree of autonomy, has ever since it was established in 1992 had its own football federation and national teams Republika Srpska national football team who play friendly matches. The Dayton Peace Treaty recognizes it as a constitutive part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in 2002 both FIFA and UEFA accepted FA Republic of Srpska as one of two cofounders of FA BIH.
Alternatively, some unrecognised states may have national teams. Some established members of FIFA still fall into this category, such as Chinese Taipei. Current non-FIFA heavyweights Northern Cyprus are the best example of this category of non-FIFA football team.
Regional associations
Several teams which represent the regional associations of established footballing nations. These oversee local football in their respective regions and are part of a network of associations that contribute to the national association as a whole. A good example of this would be Jersey, who hold county status within the Football Association. These regional associations often enter representative teams into international non-FIFA matches.
Stateless people
Another group of teams are representative sides of ethnic groups that are without a home state, or are drawn from an ethnic diaspora. The Sami people of Lapland live in a distinct area of northern Fennoscandia, yet fall under the control of four states. Nevertheless, they have organised a football association and a representative team. Similarly, the Romani people—having been strewn across Europe for centuries—have a fledgeling footballing organisation to represent them in international competition. Other nations which were stateless, such as the Palestinians have been welcomed into FIFA and the AFC despite their state only more recently been recognised in international law. The Esperanto football team represents the worldwide community of Esperanto speakers.