Latest news with #OceaniaQualifiers
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Football Ferns could get home advantage in World Cup qualifiers
Macey Fraser of New Zealand and Pattaranan Aupachai of Thailand during the International Womens Football match, New Zealand Football Ferns Vs Thailand, Apollo Projects Stadium. Photo: Photosport New Zealand will host the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 Oceania Qualifiers semi-finals and final in April next year. The Football Ferns will get home advantage if they make it beyond the group stages, as they try to qualify for a sixth World Cup in a row. Much like the All Whites did in March when they defeated New Caledonia in Auckland to secure a place at the men's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US next year. The women's matches will take place between 7 to 18 April next year, with host cities still to be announced. The winner of the final will automatically qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 in Brazil. Prior to the finals, group games will be played in the February and March international window, in Fiji and the Solomon Islands, with the top two sides in each pool qualifying for the semi-finals. New Zealand Football chief executive officer Andrew Pragnell said getting hosting rights was "significant". "Bringing our senior national teams home on a regular basis is a big priority for us as an organisation, so it is great to be able to confirm these very significant games will be played in Aotearoa. "The game is in a great place right now at all levels, from community football, where numbers are exploding, to the professional level, with the introduction of Auckland FC and their rivalry with Wellington Phoenix, and of course at international level with the All Whites returning to the FIFA World Cup next year and, all going well, the Ferns doing the same in 2027." The 2027 World Cup will have 32 teams, the same as the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand , which was the first to have 32 teams, up from 24 in the 2019 tournament hosted by France. From the 2031 edition onwards it will be a 48-team World Cup with a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 - the same as the expanded men's World Cup in 2026 - and extending the tournament by one week. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
The OFC Executive Committee Has Confirmed The Hosts And Dates For All OFC Competitions In 2026.
2026 will be another busy and exciting year of football action across the Oceania region, with the conclusion of the FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2027 - Oceania Qualifiers, OFC Men's and Women's Champions League and the always spectacular OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup highlights of the calendar. Match days 3, 4 and 5 of the FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2027 - Oceania Qualifiers will be held in both the Solomon Islands and Fiji respectively, with the concluding two match days hosted by New Zealand. The OFC Women's Champions League returns to the Solomon Islands following a successful hosting in 2024, with the men's competition held in Fiji. The OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup returns to the shores of Tahiti, who last hosted the competition in 2023. OFC 2026 Competition Calendar OFC Men's Champions League 2026 - Qualifying | Samoa, Jan 31 - Feb 6 FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2027 - Oceania Qualifiers MD 3, 4 & 5 | Fiji & Solomon Islands, Feb 24 - Mar 7* OFC U-16 Men's Championship 2026 - Qualifying | Tonga, Mar 25-31 FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2027 - Oceania Qualifiers MD 6 & 7 | New Zealand, Apr 7-18 OFC U-16 Women's Championship 2026 - Qualifying | Papua New Guinea, Apr 18-24 OFC U-19 Men's Championship 2026 - Qualifying | Cook Islands, Jun 6-12 OFC Women's Champions League 2026 | Solomon Islands, Jun 27 - Jul 10 OFC U-16 Men's Championship 2026 | Papua New Guinea, Jul 12-25 OFC Men's Champions League 2026 | Fiji, Aug 8-21 OFC U-19 Men's Championship 2026 | Tahiti, Aug 30 - Sep 12 OFC U-16 Women's Championship 2026 | Solomon Islands, Sep 6-19 OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup 2026 | Tahiti, Oct 22-31 *Please note that host location is subject to change dependent on the outcome of the FIFA Women's World Cup™ 2027 - Oceania Qualifiers draw.
