Pacific Island teams chase historic first as FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers begins

Pacific women’s football is chasing history this week in the Cook Islands as four island nations begin their fight for a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, a spot no island nation has ever earned.

American Sāmoa, Cook Islands, Tahiti, and Tonga kick off round one of the Oceania qualifiers in a sudden-death format where a single loss ends World Cup hopes.

Only one Oceania team will survive all three rounds and reach the global stage, making every match a must-win.

Tonga Maliki enter as the highest-ranked team of the group and will meet American Sāmoa in Saturday’s first semi-final at 10am (NZ time), while the Cook Islands face Tahiti in the second match. The winners will move on to the round one final and keep their World Cup dream alive.

Kilifi Uele, Tonga’s Head Coach, told reporters in a media conference that his squad reflects a mix of youth and experience.

“For us as a small nation, we believe in the development of our future. We have to take into consideration our local development while also following the trends of football, which is the future of our Oceania Football Confederation,” Uele says.

Team captains from left: Daviana Vaka, Haranui Le Gayic, Claudean Robati, and Alma Mana’o. Photo/OFC/Facebok

For American Sāmoa, the chance to make history is big as they chase their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying win, having fallen short in all five previous attempts.

Alma Mana’o, the American Sāmoan captain, told Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) reporters of the importance of achieving this milestone for their country.

“It would mean a lot to the country, it would mean a lot to everyone. Seeing the growth of the programme over the years, the time that is put in, and the amount of work the federation does, we want to reward them and make the country proud.”

Tahiti women's team. Photo/OFC/Facebook

In the second semi-final, Tahiti will compete against the Cook Islands. The winners of each semi-final will progress to the round one qualifying final for a chance to advance to round two.

Rhys Ruka, Cook Islands’ Head Coach, told the media that the team can achieve better results than their eighth-place finish in this year’s OFC Women’s Nations Cup.

He says lessons learnt since July’s campaign will be crucial. “In July, the squads changed with players from off-Island, which adds unpredictability and excitement.

“We focus on getting everyone together, keeping them physically ready, and cramming tactical work into a few days. Confidence is built through preparation and belief in the system.”

Xavier Samin, Tahiti’s Head Coach, who has been with the team since 2010, told journalists that his focus is on growth rather than solely on results.

Coming into the competition as the second-highest-ranked side, they currently sit at #119 on the FIFA rankings. Samin is focused on building connections within the team to improve their development.

“The main insight for me is to be more rigorous in training. We need to adapt if we want to play on the world stage. The level of this team is improving heading into the tournament… For us, it’s about giving the girls more chances to play internationally,” Samin says.

The winners of this round will advance to round two, scheduled during the FIFA international window from 24 February to 7 March 2026.

Round two will be held in the Solomon Islands, where the winner will join Group A and face New Zealand, Sāmoa, and the Solomon Islands.

Group B will consist of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia, with games hosted in Fiji. The top teams from each group will then advance to the third and final round, which will be played in New Zealand from 7 to 18 April 2026.

For more information on fixtures and results, click here.