YORKSHIRE can boast the world's newest international football team after membership of the non-FIFA Confederation of International Football Associations (CONIFA) was ratified.
The team, for which only players born in the county are eligible, were set up in July and are set to make their debut with a friendly against the Isle of Man at Hemsworth on January 28.
CONIFA delegates unanimously passed Yorkshire's application for membership at their annual general meeting in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus.
The organisation tweeted: "Welcome to the CONIFA family to @YorksIFA! The fifth AGM just approved them unanimously as the newest member! Congratulations!"
The CONIFA organisation, which was established in 2013, describe themselves as a federation for international teams "from nations, de-facto nations, regions, minority peoples and sports isolated territories".
Yorkshire join the likes of Somaliland, Greenland and Quebec as members ahead of CONIFA's 2018 World Cup in London in June, although it is too late for the county's involvement.
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