24 teams express interest in new Pro League

Oceania correspondent for:

The teams span a total of nine nations, including one not from OFC.

Teams from both Fiji and PNG have expressed an interest in the new OFC Pro League. Here’s Fijis Setareki Hughes and Papua New Guineas Pala Paul in action at last year’s OFC Nations Cup (Photo: OFC Media via Phototek)

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has received an impressive 24 expressions of interest for the highly anticipated OFC Professional League, due to kick off in January 2026, the Confederation revealed in a press release..

With the deadline for submissions closing on Friday 28 February, clubs from across the Pacific have signalled their intent to be part of the game changing competition.

Widespread interest

The 24 expressions of interest include:

6 from New Zealand
4 from Fiji
4 from Papua New Guinea
4 from Australia
2 from New Caledonia
1 each from Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu

The race is now on for clubs to secure a spot in the elite eight-team competition, which will run from early January to May 2026, with the application process continuing through until the end of June.

OFC Professional League Manager Stuart Larman has hailed the overwhelming response as a significant milestone.

“Over the last few years, a lot of work has gone into structuring a professional league that will accelerate the growth of football across the region, including detailed preparation of the Club Application Process. It is very exciting for all involved that the response shows so many clubs share our vision and passion to develop professional football across Oceania,” he said in the press release.

The OFC Professional League is set to redefine the football landscape in the region, establishing a competitive and sustainable framework for elite football.

With eight premier teams from across the Pacific, the league promises to set new benchmarks for performance, competition, and opportunity for the sport across Oceania.

Timeline:

End of June 2025: Conclusion of the club application process.
August 2025: OFC Club Licensing Committee’s recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee.
September 2025: Final approval and issuance of licenses to the eight selected clubs.
January 2026: OFC Professional League kicks off.

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