A football derby played at a flooded stadium in Bairiki, South Tarawa, the capital atoll of Kiribati. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian “This is not just about football, it’s about building something from scratch,” Eriati Reebo, the Kiribati football president, explains. “A legacy, a story, that the world will always remember.” Kiribati, a group of Pacific islands south of Hawaii with 138,000 inhabitants, is seeking entry into World Cup qualifying for the 2030 tournament.