Latest news with #OFCProfessionalLeague
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
OFC 31st Ordinary Congress Reflects On Successful 2024 And Looks Ahead To History-Making OFC Professional League
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) 31st Ordinary Congress has taken place in Asunción, Paraguay, on the eve of the 75th FIFA Congress. FIFA President Gianni Infantino addressed the congress via video, to congratulate and celebrate the incredible development football the Oceania region has seen over the last twelve months, including a record number of OFC national teams qualifying to FIFA international tournaments. "I speak to you, not only with warm memories, but with great pride. Pride in what you have achieved. Pride in how far Oceania has come. "Football in Oceania is thriving and the opportunities before you are greater than ever," President Infantino remarked. "Under the leadership of your FIFA Vice President and OFC President Lambert Maltock, we have seen historic qualifications, unforgettable victories and a series of firsts that are helping to further develop and possibly shape the football landscape in your region," President Infantino continued. These achievements have included FIFA World Cup™ qualification for Fiji (FIFA U-17 World Cup™), Samoa (FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup™), as well as New Zealand's qualification to the FIFA World Cup 26™ and New Caledonia's place in the FIFA World Cup 26™ Play-off Tournament. 2026 will be an historic year for OFC and football in the Pacific, with the launch of the OFC Professional League - the region's first-ever professional football league. OFC President Lambert Maltock, in his speech to Congress, highlighted the lasting impacts that this development will have, far beyond the action on the pitch. "Our focus on launching the OFC Professional League in 2026 has brought our region closer to a future where our clubs, our players, and our people can aspire to the highest standards. "Together with our Member Associations and partners, we are building a league that will transform the landscape of football in Oceania, step by step," President Maltock said. The President also highlighted the impressive grassroots development that OFC has worked hard to drive, with a particular focus on the women's game. "We have invested in our future — engaging over 70,000 young players through our academies and grassroots programmes, with a strong focus on inclusion and gender equality. "In women's football, we saw extraordinary growth, especially in New Zealand, where participation rose by 27%. New leadership and coaching pathways for women are creating opportunities like never before." Emphasis was also made by President Maltock on OFC's digital presence, with an impressive growth over the past year, highlighting the rising interest in football across the region. The number of fans and followers across OFC's digital platforms grew by 19%, from 239,947 in 2023 to 286,456 in 2024. Engagement also increased, with interactions rising by 21% to reach 2.68 million. Livestreaming views more than doubled — from 1.09 million in 2023 to 2.28 million in 2024, an 81% increase. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez, who was present at the Congress on behalf of the FIFA President, addressed the delegates and reaffirmed CONMEBOL's commitment to the region, stating: 'The Memorandum of Understanding signed with OFC represents our total commitment to working hand in hand. You are transforming football in Oceania with the OFC Professional League — it's a big step forward not only for today's players but for the next generation. Big congratulations for that.' As OFC enters the implementation phase of the OFC Professional League, amendments to the current OFC Statutes were approved to accommodate the creation of the league to ensure cohesiveness across the Articles and operational efficiency for decision makers. OFC also successfully appointed a further nine members to their respective judicial bodies and standing committees, aligning their term of service with the Members elected in 2024. These decisions further enforced OFC's continual commitment to maintaining good governance principles across all decisions made at OFC.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
13 Clubs Now In Contention To Be Part Of The Inaugural OFC Professional League
Press Release – Oceania Football Confederation There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including four from New Zealand, two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. From the 24 clubs who expressed interest in being part of the OFC Professional League due to start in January 2026, OFC can confirm that 13 will continue to the Club Licensing phase. There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including four from New Zealand, two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. The 13 clubs will be reduced to eight for the 2026 competition. There will be a maximum of two entries from a single OFC Member Association and one from Australia. The competition will feature eight teams and run from early January until the end of May with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches. 'Any club that wants to participate in the OFC Professional League 2026 must meet the requirements to receive an OFC Professional League Club License', stated Stuart Larman, OFC Professional League Project Manager. 'We expect the quality of submissions to continue at the same level as we have seen in the first phase of the Club Application Process. If that happens, we will have 13 clubs licensed and eight slots available in the OFC Professional League 2026. In countries where more than one club has attained a license, we have a defined methodology to distinguish between the clubs based on their Club Licensing submissions.' Larman added. In August, the OFC Club Licensing Committee will pass on its recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee, with confirmation on the eight selected clubs happening in September. The competition will run from early January until the end of May, with a minimum of 17 matches for each club. There will be five circuit series rounds at various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format before the teams are split into two playoff groups, Leaders and Challengers. The Leaders Playoff Group will see the top four teams compete for three semi-final spots. The Challengers Playoff Group will see the top team after three round-robin matches compete against the bottom team from the Leaders Playoff Group for the final semi-final spot. This is designed to keep fans and players engaged throughout the season. The semi-finals and the grand final will be single leg matches at yet to be determined venues.
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Football: Four NZ teams short-listed for inaugural OFC Professional League
Oceania Football Photo: Phototek The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) says 13 clubs are now in contention to be part of the inaugural OFC Professional League, including four from New Zealand. A total of 24 clubs expressed an interest in being part of the new eight team league, which is due to start in January 2026. The short-listed 13 clubs will continue to the club licensing phase. There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. The 13 clubs will be reduced to eight and there will be a maximum of two entries from a single OFC Member Association and one from Australia. OFC Professional League project manager Stuart Larman said any club that wanted to participate in the league had to meet the requirements to receive a license. "We expect the quality of submissions to continue at the same level as we have seen in the first phase of the Club Application Process. If that happens, we will have 13 clubs licensed and eight slots available in the OFC Professional League 2026. In countries where more than one club has attained a license, we have a defined methodology to distinguish between the clubs based on their Club Licensing submissions," Larman said. The OFC Club Licensing Committee will pass on its recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee in August and the eight selected clubs will be confirmed in September. The competition will run from early January until the end of May with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches. There will be five circuit series rounds at various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format before the teams are split into two playoff groups, Leaders and Challengers. The leaders playoff group will see the top four teams compete for three semi-final spots. The challengers playoff group will see the top team after three round-robin matches compete against the bottom team from the leaders playoff group for the final semi-final spot. The semi-finals and the grand final will be single leg matches.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
13 Clubs Now In Contention To Be Part Of The Inaugural OFC Professional League
From the 24 clubs who expressed interest in being part of the OFC Professional League due to start in January 2026, OFC can confirm that 13 will continue to the Club Licensing phase. There are 11 clubs from six OFC Member Associations including four from New Zealand, two from Fiji, two from Papua New Guinea, one each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu, with the other two clubs from Australia. The 13 clubs will be reduced to eight for the 2026 competition. There will be a maximum of two entries from a single OFC Member Association and one from Australia. The competition will feature eight teams and run from early January until the end of May with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches. 'Any club that wants to participate in the OFC Professional League 2026 must meet the requirements to receive an OFC Professional League Club License', stated Stuart Larman, OFC Professional League Project Manager. 'We expect the quality of submissions to continue at the same level as we have seen in the first phase of the Club Application Process. If that happens, we will have 13 clubs licensed and eight slots available in the OFC Professional League 2026. In countries where more than one club has attained a license, we have a defined methodology to distinguish between the clubs based on their Club Licensing submissions.' Larman added. In August, the OFC Club Licensing Committee will pass on its recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee, with confirmation on the eight selected clubs happening in September. The competition will run from early January until the end of May, with a minimum of 17 matches for each club. There will be five circuit series rounds at various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format before the teams are split into two playoff groups, Leaders and Challengers. The Leaders Playoff Group will see the top four teams compete for three semi-final spots. The Challengers Playoff Group will see the top team after three round-robin matches compete against the bottom team from the Leaders Playoff Group for the final semi-final spot. This is designed to keep fans and players engaged throughout the season. The semi-finals and the grand final will be single leg matches at yet to be determined venues.
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Auckland FC keen to take part in proposed OFC Professional League
Auckland FC's disappointment at being unable to compete in next season's AFC Champions League Elite competition may be tempered by the Black Knights' potential participation in next year's proposed OFC Professional League. A spot in the lucrative AFC Champions League Elite competition usually goes to the winner of the A-League premiership. However, despite winning the A-League Premier's Plate in their debut season, the Black Knights are ineligible to compete in an Asian Football Confederation competition as they are a club from New Zealand, which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation. The A-League's Champions League Elite representative next season will therefore be the team that finishes second on the ladder. With one round of the regular season remaining, four clubs – Melbourne City, Western United, Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory – remain in contention for second spot. Auckland could yet play a part in determining who finishes second, with the Black Knights meeting Western United – placed third – at Ironbark Fields on Saturday night. And while the Steve Corica-coached Black Knights have switched their focus to adding the A-League championship to their premiership success by winning next month's finals series, they are also planning for next season in the hope of competing in the OFC Professional League, a planned new eight-team competition set to start in January involving Oceania clubs and potentially also including at least one Australian NPL club. As is the case with the AFC Champions League Elite, the winner of the OFC Professional League would have the chance to play in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and every four years in the FIFA Club World Cup. Black Knights chief executive Nick Becker said the club had made a submission to be part of the OFC Professional League and had the support of the Australian Professional Leagues – which runs the A-League – the OFC and New Zealand Football. 'We're just waiting confirmation of whether we're accepted into the league and what the player regulations and all the infrastructures are,' Becker said. 'We don't have full visibility on player regulations on who can and can't compete in it and the number of A-League players we'd be able to field in that competition. 'We'd probably have to have effectively two squads … but we've got a decent-sized squad now, so we'd like to use as many of our own players as possible. 'It would be a good result to be in it to make up for (being unable to play in the AFC Champions League Elite competition).' Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand's other A-League club, has also made a submission to play in the OFC Professional League, which would conclude with a final in May next year.
