Words by

John Rogers

@jhnrgrs

Photo by

Timothée Lambrecq

This summer, as the World Cup was hitting its peak, we were out on a road trip driving the winding fjords, mountain passes and endless tunnels of the Faroe Islands. The villages were often tiny, even by Icelandic standards, and as we made our way around the archipelago, we were struck by two things. Firstly, that every single village and hamlet, no matter how small, had a football field. And secondly, that they were all empty.

It’s true that we were driving around mostly during office hours, so perhaps the kids were stuck in the classroom and the adults in work, instead of living out their heroic sporting fantasies. Even so, the empty football fields of the Faroe Islands—at the peak of World Cup fever—were a striking sight to behold. Lodged into the landscape between jagged cliffs and wide, windswept beaches, they seemed like a powerful testimony to the truly global appeal of the world’s most popular sport.

Extra points for hitting the steeple

A stand! The Wembley of the Faroes

Solid defensive formation in this ducks vs. gulls grudge match

Football in zero visibility could be fun

Everyone in the town = two teams

Some kinda strange football field where the goal is a hoop

The loser has to go dive off the end of the peninsula

Who stole the grass?

The only football field which has a water hazard

Fact: this pitch is in a giant’s footprint

Some kinda Faroeese-rules tricycle-riding next level Max Mad football spin-off shit

Thanks to Visit Faroe Islands.