OFC path to 2026 World Cup confirmed

Oceania nations now know their path to the 2026 World Cup.

The draw took place earlier this week in Zurich, Switzerland. The next World Cup will be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Qualifying Group: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga

GROUP A: Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea

GROUP B: New Zealand, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Winner Qualifying Group

For the first time, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has a direct slot for the FIFA World Cup, with an additional berth available via the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.

The qualifying round, pitting the four lowest ranked FIFA teams against each other, will take place in Samoa in September.

The second round features two groups of four nations, with each nation facing each other once in matches played in October and November, 2024. The top two in each group then progress to the decisive third round, set to played in March, 2025.

The third round winner progresses directly to the World Cup 26, while the runners-up secure an Intercontinental Play-off Tournament berth.

Coach reactions:

Fiji coach Rob Sherman: “It’s an exciting group which I think all teams would see as a challenge and an opportunity. We are looking forward to the qualifiers as they are a unique opportunity for the OFC nations”

PNG coach Darren Moon: “It’s a great group for us given where we are at on our journey. Whilst it will be a tough challenge it’s not out of the realms of possibility that if we play our way and get it right, we can beat any of these teams on our day.”

New Caledonia coach Johann Sidaner: “It’s a tough group, each confrontation will be a challenge. The selectors will approach this group stage like the other nations, with the desire to qualify or the semi-finals. To do this we will have to be consistent and rely on the strength that the team has gained during victories at the Pacific Games. The team can’t wait to get together again, return to football stadiums and compete.”

Solomon Islands caretaker coach Moses Toata: “Fiji, PNG, and New Caledonia are all strong teams. Recent results have shown that we cannot take their challenge lightly. Our ranking does not guarantee our strength; we must build a cohesive team and maximize our performance potential. Fiji has been consistent over the last five years and has a good coach in Rob Sherman. They will be looking to excel in the qualifiers. Our preparation is key, and we must leverage our seeded status to our advantage. Training starts next week.”

Vanuatu coach Juliano Schmeling: “Having another match against New Zealand will be magical and we need to take this opportunity to grow and improve. We are coming from our first game 4-0, then the final 3-0, so why not now get prepared to perform even better from our previous 2 matches. If we are considering NZ as one of the semi-finalists then we are fighting against the Qualifying winner and Tahiti, so we can’t make mistakes against them because they are crucial games for us.”

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