UEFA Sets Up Commission to Integrate Kosovo, Gibraltar in 2018 World Cup

The European football federation (UEFA) has decided to create a task force to tackle integration of Gibraltar and Kosovo national teams' participation in the 2018 World Cup qualification tournament, the organization said in a statement on Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In May 2016, Football Federations of Kosovo and Gibraltar were admitted as members in the International Association of Football Federations (FIFA) despite facing opposition from some countries.

"A task force will be created to discuss how the national teams of Gibraltar and Kosovo will be integrated into the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers following their admission as FIFA member associations," the statement reads.

The decision was made at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Basel.

Spain has opposed Gibraltar's FIFA membership due to the disputable status of the territory. Some 300 years ago, the country ceded Gibraltar to Britain but Madrid is still trying to return it back.

Serbia, in turn,  disagrees with Kosovo's inclusion to the FIFA as the territory unilaterally declared its independence from the country in 2008.  Many UN members, including Russia, do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.