Uefa considers Gibraltar claims
Gibraltar's hopes of joining Uefa as a member will be decided at the organisation's Congress in January.
The sovereignty of the tiny territory has been the subject of a dispute with Spain, ever since Britain took control after the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
Gibraltar's Football Association (GFA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), who have sympathised with the case and referred it to Uefa.
But Uefa is under pressure to address mismatches in qualifying competitions.
Gibraltar, which could be granted provisional membership in October, has a population of less than 30,000 people and covers an area of just 2.25 square miles.
The Spanish government have opposed the move due to the historical dispute over the territory's sovereignty.
\"Cas required the Uefa Congress to take a decision on Gibraltar. Membership will have to be approved by Congress at a meeting in January in Duesseldorf,\" said a Uefa spokesman.
Uefa's executive board rejected the country's original application in 1999 because it was not an independent state.
But the GFA has pointed out that territories such as the Faroe Islands and the US Virgin Islands are members of Fifa.
GFA president Joey Nunez criticised Spain for making the issue political and insisted that \"this is simply a footballing matter\".
He added: \"All we are seeking to do is to be allowed to develop football within the football family of Europe.\"
