The World Cup is guaranteed a contestant from Oceania for the first time since 2010 as 2026 World Cup qualifying kicked off with play September in Apia, Samoa.
The 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments saw New Zealand win the OFC qualifying tournament only to respectively lose inter-confederation playoffs against CONCACAF foes Mexico, Peru, and Costa Rica.
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This time, the winner of qualifying is heading to the expanded 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico while the runner-up will head to the playoff.
And while New Zealand will be heavy favorites to advance given their 94th-spot in the most recent FIFA rankings, Tahiti, Fiji, and New Caledonia are also in the final four and hoping to upend Chris Wood’s Kiwis.
Oceania (OFC) World Cup qualification format
- First round (Sept. 6-9, 2024): Four teams play two semifinals, one final in Apia, Samoa
- Second round (Oct. 10 - Nov. 17, 2025): Eight teams, two groups, top two from each group advance
- Third round (begins March 2025): Four teams, two semifinals, one final with winner qualifying for World Cup and runner-up qualifying for inter-confederation playoffs
Oceania (OFC) World Cup qualification schedule — First round fixtures, results
Friday, September 6, 2024
Cook Islands 1-3 Tonga
American Samoa 0-2 Samoa
Monday, September 9, 2024
Tonga 1-2 Samoa (AET)
Oceania (OFC) World Cup qualification standings, schedule — Second round match-ups
October 11, 2024
New Caledonia 3-1 Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands 0-1 Fiji
New Zealand 3-0 Tahiti
October 12, 2024
Vanuatu 4-1 Samoa
November 13, 2024
Solomon Islands 2-3 New Caledonia
November 14, 2024
Papua New Guinea 3-3 Fiji
Samoa 0-3 Tahiti
November 15, 2024
New Zealand 8-1 Vanuatu
November 16, 2024
Fiji 1-1 New Caledonia
November 16, 2024
Papua New Guinea 1-2 Solomon Islands
Tahiti 2-0 Vanuatu
November 18, 2024
Samoa 0-8 New Zealand
Oceania (OFC) World Cup qualification standings, schedule — Second round groups
Group A
- New Caledonia — 2-1-0, +3 GD — 7 points
- Fiji — 1-2-0, +1 GD — 5 points
- Solomon Islands — 1-0-2, -1 GD — 3 points
- Papua New Guinea — 0-1-2, -3 GD — 1 point
Group B
- New Zealand — 3-0-0, +18 GD — 9 points
- Tahiti — 2-0-1, +2 GD — 6 points
- Vanuatu — 1-0-2, -6 GD — 3 points
- Samoa — 0-0-3, -14 GD — 0 points
Oceania (OFC) World Cup qualification standings, schedule — Third round format, schedule
March 21, 2025
Semifinals
New Caledonia vs Tahiti
New Zealand vs Fiji
March 24, 2025
Final
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs winner of Semifinal 2
