Hamburg - Originally a soccer celebration, the World Cup has become a money-making festival where profits come before fans and players. But a mini-Cup in Hamburg focuses on the beautiful game — pitting Tibet against Gibraltar.

World soccer’s largest stage doesn’t seem to have space for everyone looking to see what’s taking place. Using its position as judge and jury, FIFA can keep a firm grip on the world’s most popular sport.

Regulations keep fans clutching at their radios for a chance to win tickets to a game because there are no tickets left, while dust gathers on tickets that sponsors have in desk drawers. Players on the world’s biggest teams cash their million euro checks before jogging back to defend corner kicks while fans shell out a day’s wage hoping for a rare moment of honest excitement.

Organisers of a mini World Cup, however, aim to bring passion — from players and fans — back to the game by staging a tournament in Germany’s northern harbour city of Hamburg, also one of the 12 host cities for the summer’s “real” World Cup.

Tickets for the May 29 to June 3 tournament featuring Greenland, Gibraltar, Tibet, Zanzibar and Hamburg’s own FC St. Pauli — often in a class of its own when it comes to fervent supporters — will be on sale at the gate without fans having to give up any of the personal information or processing fees that FIFA demands.

All the teams playing in the tournament have been left standing on the sidelines when FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, chooses who gets to play. Legally an autonomous part of Denmark, FIFA doesn’t answer anymore when Greenland knocks — the icy island doesn’t have a grass field that meets international standards.

Part of the African Soccer Confederation since 2004, Zanzibar’s “Malindi Red Socks” wouldn’t be allowed to play in the World Cup if ever managed to qualify because FIFA does not recognise them as coming from an officially independent state. A reasoning the soccer body repeats for Gibraltar and Tibet.

Now, why do Scotland, England and Wales all get to (at least) compete for a space in the World Cup finals again?

(STORY COURTESY: DEUTSCHE WELLE) REBEL TOUR?