Cam Howieson (L) of Auckland City avoids the attention of Gabiriele Matanisiga of Wellington Olympic during their OFC men's Champions League national playoff in 2024. Photo: Photosport
Five Pasifika football clubs have been included in the first-ever Ocenia Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League, set to kick-off on 10 January 2026.
Oceania Football has confirmed the eight teams selected to be part of the first event.
Among them are Fiji's Bula Boys FC, Papua New Guinea's Hekari United FC, Solomon Kings FC, Tahiti United FC and Vanuatu FC.
New Zealand's Auckland FC and Christchurch United FC plus South Melbourne FC of Australia complete the list.
South Melbourne is the lone team from outside of the OFC membership, as Australia is a member of the Asian federation.
The OFC Professional League will be officially launched on Wednesday 29 October.
OFC general secretary Franck Castillo said it is a historic moment for Oceania football.
"For the first time, our region will have a professional league that provides a pathway for players, coaches, and clubs to compete at the highest level within the Pacific," he said at Friday's announcement.
"The eight preferred clubs represent the diversity and passion of our member associations, and while there are still final steps to be completed, today marks a major milestone on our journey towards January 2026."
OFC said in a statement the eight have been selected based on the recommendations of the Independent Club Licensing Committee.
"The OFC executive committee has approved the clubs, which are still subject to the final stages of the licensing and compliance process before full confirmation."
The OFC Professional League will run in a circuit series format, held across the Pacific.
"Importantly, the OFC Professional League will also serve as Oceania's qualifier for the FIFA Club World Cup 2029, providing a direct pathway," Oceania Football said.
PNG's Football Association general secretary Ahmjad Tekwie told The National newspaper that Hekari United's acceptance in the new Pro League marks the beginning of a new era for the sport in the country.
He said this opens a clear pathway for PNG's aspiring footballers to reach the professional stage.
"This is victory not just for one club but for the entire football fraternity, and a beacon of hope for the next generation of players who dream of representing Papua New Guinea on the international stage," he added.
Former FIFA World Cup winner with France, Christian Karembeu believes the new league will be the critical next step to close the gap between the Pacific with the rest of the world.
The first OFC Professional League season will run from January through to May 2026, with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches, with five rounds of matches.
Teams will be split into two playoff groups after the round robin matches - leaders and challengers.
The leaders playoff group will see the top four teams battle for three of the four semi-final spots, whilst the challengers playoff group will involve the remaining teams, with the top side earning a playoff match against the fourth-placed team from the leaders group to determine the remaining semi-final berth.
The semi-finals and the final will be single-leg knockout matches.
