The Oceania Football Confederation launches first professional league

A new era has begun for the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) after the soft launch of its first-ever professional league last night in Auckland.

The league, featuring eight Oceania teams, is scheduled to run from January to May 2026, with the opening match taking place at Eden Park on 17 January.

The participating Pacific clubs include Fiji’s Bula FC, Papua New Guinea’s Hekari FC, Tahiti United, Vanuatu United FC, and the Solomon Kings FC. New Zealand will be represented by Auckland FC and South Island United, while Australia’s South Melbourne FC is the only non-OFC team in the competition, completing the line-up.

Years in the making, this inaugural competition aims to elevate football in the Pacific to new heights, both on and off the pitch, marking a major milestone for the region.

Lambert Maltock, OFC President and a driving force behind the competition, expressed his overwhelming pride that the long-awaited league has finally become a reality.

“This is the dream that the whole of Oceania has been waiting for. It’s a major milestone for Oceania, and for me personally... it’s my proudest moment in football during my lifetime,” Maltock says.

Having previously been the only non-professional football confederation among the six global bodies, Franck Castillo, OFC Secretary, is confident the league will continue to expand in the years ahead, despite early scepticism.

“I know the first year is always the most difficult, because people do not believe in this league. When we said we were going to launch a professional league, people said it would never happen, but it’s happening, and we are confident.

“With the direction and vision of the OFC President and the Executive Committee, we know this will be a major project not only for the region but for the world,” Castillo says.

From left: OFC President Lambert Maltock, and General Secretary Frank Castillo. Photo/OFC Media/Phototek

Under player eligibility regulations, up to three players currently competing in the A-League can participate in the Pro League if they are over 23 years old. Each club may also include up to three players from non-OFC nations, along with three players from non-OFC nations, along with three players from other Oceania countries.

Although Auckland FC currently compete in the A-League, having beaten Western Sydney Wanderers FC 1–0 last Saturday, Castillo is not concerned about the club fielding another full-strength squad for the new competition.

“It’s not a B team at all. They are going to create another team, and I think they’ll assemble a really strong side, because the intention is to win the Professional League, because you know what will happen after,” Castillo says.

From the Pacific, Anushil Kumar, the interim CEO for Bula FC, says the club welcomes the heightened competition. “It sets a challenge for our team, so we’re taking everything positively and remain optimistic.”

Rabieh Krayem, Deputy Chairman of Solomon Kings, says the club views the league as an opportunity for growth beyond the competition.

“This club isn’t just about one team playing in the Oceania Pro League, it carries a responsibility off the field to help grow the game at all levels. That must be our vision, otherwise we risk becoming isolated, and that’s not what this club stands for,” Krayem says.

The beginning of the competition format will include five circuit series rounds played across the Pacific, with teams facing each other twice for a total of 14 matches each, guaranteeing each team at least 17 games overall.

The league winner will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, while the OFC Pro League will also determine which Oceania club represents the region at the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.