Tahiti will face New Zealand. • TNTV Tahiti Nui Television

Christian Karembeu during the draw. Credit: FIFA

In Group A we find New Caledonia. Absent from the 2024 OFC Nations Cup, the country where Christian Karembeu was born has big ambitions in this qualifier. If they want to keep their dream alive, the Cajos will have to climb into the top two of a homogeneous group, at the very least, inherited by the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Group B promises to be a great battle. If current continental champions New Zealand are the favourites (they are the only Oceania nation among the current members to have competed in the World Cup, in 1982 and 2010), then there are vice-champions Vanuatu and the third resident on the recent OFC Nations Cup podium, Tahiti. Mathieu DeGrumel and company are openly planning to play at least the play-off tournament. The fourth member of this group will be the first-round survivor.

This first round will be contested by the four lowest ranked teams in the July 2024 world rankings and will be held in September 2024. Samoa, Cook Islands, American Samoa and Tonga will compete in a preliminary tournament organised as a semi-final and final in singles matches. The winner will find themselves in Group B.

Groups

Group A
Solomon Islands
Fiji
New Caledonia
Papua New Guinea

Group B
New Zealand
Tahiti
Vanuatu
First round winner

Each team in the second round will face the other three teams in single matches in October and November 2024. The first and second place teams from each group will qualify for the third round, which will be held in March 2025.
This third round will start with a single-leg semi-final (winner of Group A – runner-up of Group B and winner of Group B – runner-up of Group A) and will conclude with a single-leg final.
The winner will be the first Oceania football representative to qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup.
The unsuccessful finalist will play in the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off. Thus, for the first time in its history, the OFC can have two teams in the final stage of the premier competition.