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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

The Oceanian section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification process is expected to take place from September 2024 to March 2025. The 2026 tournament is the 16th edition of Oceanian qualifiers and marks the first time OFC has a direct qualification slot into the FIFA World Cup.^[1]

Format[edit]

All eleven nations are expected to enter qualification.

The qualification structure is as follows:

• First round: The four lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA Men's World Rankings will play a three-match knockout round in September 2024. The winner will advance to the second round.
• Second round: The winning team from the first round will join the seven highest-ranked teams in two four-team groups in October and November 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the third round.
• Third round: The four teams advancing from the second round will play a three-match knockout round in March 2025 with the winner qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and the runner-up advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs

Entrants[edit]

All 11 OFC members affiliated with FIFA are expected to enter qualification.

 Cook Islands

 Fiji

 New Caledonia

 New Zealand

 Papua New Guinea

 Samoa

 Solomon Islands

 Tahiti

 Tonga

 Vanuatu

Schedule[edit]

The schedule of the competition is as follows.

Round	Matchday	Date	Venue(s)
First round	Matchday 1	2–10 September 2024	Samoa
	Matchday 2
Second round	Matchday 1	7–15 October 2024	New Zealand and  Vanuatu
	Matchday 2	11–19 November 2024	New Zealand and  Papua New Guinea
	Matchday 3
Third round	Semi-finals	March 2025
	Final	March 2025

The inter-confederation play-offs will be scheduled to be played in March 2026.

First round[edit]

The draw for the first round will be on 18 July 2024 and matches will be played 2–10 September 2024 in Samoa.^[2] The four lowest-ranked teams will compete in a knockout series, and the winner will advance to join the seven highest-ranked teams in the second round.^[3]

Bracket[edit]

Matchday 1[edit]

Matchday 2[edit]

The winner advances to the second round.

Second round[edit]

The second round will take place from 7 October to 19 November 2024 with two groups of four teams playing in a league format.^[3] Matches will be played in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.^[2]

Group A[edit]

Group B[edit]

Third round[edit]

The third round is expected to take place March 2025. The winner will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the runner-up will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.^[1]

Bracket[edit]

Semi-finals[edit]

Final[edit]

The winner qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The runner-up advances to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Inter-confederation play-offs[edit]

The runner up team will join one team each from AFC, CAF, and CONMEBOL and two from CONCACAF in the inter-confederation play-offs. The teams will be ranked according to the FIFA Men's World Ranking, with the four lowest-ranked teams playing in two single-elimination matches. The winners will meet the two highest-ranked teams in another set of single-elimination matches, with the winners of these matches qualifying for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.^[4]

References[edit]