The countries of Oceania now know how to reach the 2026 World Cup.

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

Qualification group: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga

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

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

For the first time, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has a direct place at the FIFA World Cup, with an additional place available through the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.

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

The second round will consist of two groups of four countries, with each country playing each other once in matches to be played in October and November 2024. The top two from each group will progress to the deciding third round, to be played in March 2025.

The winner of the third round will advance directly to the World Cup 26, while the runners-up will secure a place in the Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.

Coach’s comments:

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

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

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

Solomon Islands interim 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 is no guarantee of our strength; we need to build a cohesive team and maximise our performance potential. Fiji have been consistent over the past five years and have a good coach in Rob Sherman. They will be looking to excel in the qualifiers. Our preparation is essential and we need to use our seeded status to our advantage. Training starts next week.”

Vanuatu coach Juliano Schmeling: “Another match against New Zealand is magical and we have to take this opportunity to grow and improve. We come from our first match 4-0, then the last 3-0, so why not prepare now to do even better than our previous 2 matches. If we consider New Zealand as one of the semi-finalists, then we will be fighting against the winner of the qualifier and Tahiti, so we cannot make any mistakes against them, because they are crucial matches for us.”

About the author

Ola Bjerkevoll

Passionate about all things football and especially in Oceania. Owner of Football in Oceania.