Pacific’s young stars chase two FIFA World Cup places in Sāmoa

The road to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup is underway in Sāmoa this week with eight Pacific teams chasing just two places at next year;s tournament in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Defending champions New Zealand enter the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Under-19 Men’s Championship as one of the teams to beat.

But head coach José Figueira knows there is more at stake than another regional title.

The All Whites open their Pool B campaign against Tahiti on Wednesday with Fiji and Vanuatu also in the group.

Figueira says the current squad includes players who have already made the jump into professional football in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere.

“We have a large group of players coming through from the last Under-17 cycle, and many of our players have become professionals, whether in New Zealand, Australia or across the globe,” he told OFC Media.

The competition runs over the next two weeks, with the top two finishers securing qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

For Figueira, the target is clear: get the players on to the biggest stage in world youth football.

“We want to do that in Oceania, but for those players, we want them to do that on the world stage as well. So, for us, it's always an objective to qualify.”

Tahiti will have the same goal when they face New Zealand, with coach Raimana Bu-Luc confident after several months of preparation.

“The main objective for Tahiti is to qualify for the World Cup. I think everything is in place. So, we are ready, we are going to do everything to qualify.”

Vanuatu will also be looking to make a strong start, with much of their squad already having senior international experience.

Their coach John Philemon has set a clear first target: “We aim to qualify for the semi-finals and go from there.”

Fiji come into the tournament with their own World Cup hopes and a squad that has been tested during a six-week camp at the Fiji Football Academy in Ba.

Coach Marika Rodu says seven players were part of Fiji’s Under-17 World Cup campaign, while others have gained experience at senior club and international level.

“We have seven players from the last U-17 FIFA World Cup,” Rodu says. “Two players are returning for their second U-19 competition, and we have four players who had OFC Pro League experience with Bula FC, as well as nine overseas-based players.

Rodu says his team has one goal: “Our goal is to go to the World Cup next year.”

While Pool B gets under way on Wednesday Pool A has already produced an early result today, with Solomon Islands beating Papua New Guinea 1-0.

With so much on the line, the coaches say every match in Sāmoa carries more than regional pride. For the players chasing professional careers, it is a chance to put themselves on the world stage.