2026 OFC Professional League
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Circuit series: 17 January – 18 April 2026 Playoff groups: May – 24 May 2026 |
| Teams | 8 (from 7 associations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 42 |
| Goals scored | 119 (2.83 per match) |
| Attendance | 59,262 (1,411 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Alex Saniel (Vanuatu United) Jordan Swibel (South Melbourne) 6 goals each |
2027 →
All statistics correct as of 19 March 2026. | |
The 2026 OFC Professional League is the inaugural season of the OFC Professional League, a men's professional football league in the Oceania region. It is organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and features eight clubs from seven nations, competing in a circuit series format across various Pacific locations.
The league champion will qualify for the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and provide a pathway to the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] apart from the South Melbourne team (who cannot qualify for other competitions as they are based in Australia, which is part of the Asian Football Confederation).
The fixtures were released on 24 November 2025.[8]
Clubs
Locations of clubs competing in the 2026 season
Clubs and locations
| Club | City |
|---|---|
| Auckland FC | Auckland |
| Bula FC | Suva |
| PNG Hekari | Port Moresby |
| Solomon Kings | Honiara |
| South Island United | Christchurch |
| South Melbourne | Melbourne |
| Tahiti United | Pīraʻe |
| Vanuatu United | Port Vila |
Personnel and kits
| Club | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland FC | Luke Casserly[9] | Tass Mourdoukoutas[10] | New Balance[11] | ANZ[12] |
| Bula FC | Stéphane Auvray[13] | Roy Krishna[14] | RK21[15] | Extra Supermarket[16] |
| PNG Hekari | Jerry Allen (interim)[17] | David Tomare[18] | MRDC[19] | |
| Solomon Kings | Ben Cahn[20] | Philip Mango[21] | Stanno[22] | Solomon Ports[23] |
| South Island United | Rob Sherman[24][25] | Christian Gray[26] | New Balance[27] | Go Media[28] |
| South Melbourne | Siniša Cohadzić[29] | Marko Janković[30] | Kappa[31] | Directed Group[32] |
| Tahiti United | Samuel Garcia[33] | Teaonui Tehau[34] | Adidas[35] | Okipik |
| Vanuatu United | Lars Hopp[36] | Michel Coulon[37] | Football Central | None |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position on table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Island United | Inaugural | Pre-season | Rob Sherman[24] | 2 October 2025 | ||
| PNG Hekari | Marcos Gusmão[38] | 10 October 2025 | ||||
| Vanuatu United | Lars Hopp[36] | 17 October 2025 | ||||
| Bula FC | Stéphane Auvray[13] | 24 October 2025 | ||||
| Tahiti United | Samuel Garcia[33] | 30 October 2025 | ||||
| Auckland FC | Luke Casserly[39] | 1 December 2025 | ||||
| Solomon Kings | Ben Cahn[20] | 13 December 2025 | ||||
| PNG Hekari | Marcos Gusmão | Resigned | 3 February 2026[17] | 8th | Jerry Allen (interim) | 3 February 2026[17] |
Foreign players
| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | OFC player 1 | OFC player 2 | OFC player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland FC | Tass Mourdoukoutas[40] | Daniel Normann[41] | Jonathon Robinson[42] | |||
| Bula FC | Didier Desprez[43] | Yuta Konagaya[44] | Kaïlé Auvray[45] | Matthew Foord[46] | Fergus Gillion[47] | Adam Supyk[48] |
| PNG Hekari | Erick Joe[49] | Kaue Silva[49] | Rafael Chaves[49] | Leon Kofana[50] | John Orobulu[51] | John Alick[51] |
| Solomon Kings | Jez Lofthouse[52] | Sota Higashide | ||||
| South Island United | Deen Hasanovic[53] | Jacob Krayem[54] | Steven van Dijk[55] | Dauntae Mariner[56] | Rovu Boyers[57] | |
| South Melbourne | Yuki Uchida[58] | Ishveer Singh[54] | ||||
| Tahiti United | Jackson Gardner[54] | Joseph Athale[54] | Tevita Waranaivalu[54] | Germain Haewegene | ||
| Vanuatu United | Matt Acton[59] | Hassan Ramazani[60] | William Cardona[61] | Otto Ingham[62] | Owen Smith[63] | Raymond Diho[64] |
Format
The competition features five circuit series rounds followed by two play-off groups (Leaders and Challengers) before the semi-finals and final.[65]
Venues
The circuit-series matches will be played in Auckland, Ba, Honiara, Melbourne, Port Moresby and Suva.[66]
| Round 1 | Round 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Port Moresby | |
| Eden Park | North Harbour Stadium | PNG Football Stadium |
| Capacity: 50,000 | Capacity: 14,000 | Capacity: 14,800 |
| Round 3 | Round 4 | |
| Melbourne | Honiara | |
| Olympic Village | The Home of the Matildas | National Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 3,500 | Capacity: 10,000 |
| Round 5 | Round 6 | |
| Ba | Suva | Auckland |
| Govind Park | Buckhurst Park | Eden Park |
| Capacity: 13,500 | Capacity: 15,446 | Capacity: 50,000 |
Circuit series
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland FC | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 5 | +12 | 23 | Qualification for Leaders play-off group |
| 2 | South Melbourne | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 12 | +15 | 19 | |
| 3 | Bula FC | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 15 | |
| 4 | Solomon Kings | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 15 | |
| 5 | Vanuatu United | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 19 | −2 | 13 | Qualification for Challengers play-off group |
| 6 | South Island United | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 18 | −2 | 13 | |
| 7 | Tahiti United | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 10 | |
| 8 | PNG Hekari (W) | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 25 | −13 | 5 |
Updated to match(es) played on 19 March 2026. Source: OFC Pro League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head to head; 5) Head to head goal difference; 6) Head to head goals scored; 7) Disciplinary record; 8) Coin toss[67]
(W) Assured of a bottom four finish
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head to head; 5) Head to head goal difference; 6) Head to head goals scored; 7) Disciplinary record; 8) Coin toss[67]
(W) Assured of a bottom four finish
Results
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
- As of 19 March 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Saniel | Vanuatu United | 6 |
| Jordan Swibel | South Melbourne | ||
| 3 | Rovu Boyers | South Island United | 5 |
| Joseph Joe | PNG Hekari | ||
| Yuki Uchida | South Melbourne | ||
| 6 | Ryan Feutz | South Island United | 4 |
| Sota Higashide | Solomon Kings | ||
| Teaonui Tehau | Tahiti United | ||
| 9 | William Cardona | Vanuatu United | 3 |
| Bailey Ferguson | Auckland FC | ||
| Liam Gillion | Auckland FC | ||
| Kaltfer Kaltack | Vanuatu United | ||
| Andrew Messourouni | South Melbourne | ||
| Max Mikkola | South Melbourne | ||
| Rex Naime | PNG Hekari | ||
| Manuarii Shan | Tahiti United |
Clean sheets
- As of 19 March 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Mason | Auckland FC | 6 |
| 2 | Matt Acton | Vanuatu United | 4 |
| Philip Mango | Solomon Kings | ||
| 4 | Matt Foord | Bula FC | 2 |
| Jackson Teamotuaitau | Tahiti United | ||
| Steven van Dijk | South Island United | ||
| 7 | Blake Callinan | Auckland FC | 1 |
| Didier Desprez | Bula FC | ||
| Javier López | South Melbourne | ||
| Iliya Shalamanov-Trenkov | South Melbourne |
See also
References
- ^ "OFC plans to deliver professional league in 2021". The National. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ Ewart, Richard (December 2022). "OFC Pro League could feature composite Pacific island teams and marquee players from overseas". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Preferred clubs announced for historic OFC Professional League". oceaniafootball.com. Oceania Football Confederation. 29 August 2025. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ Monteverde, Marco (29 August 2025). "Australia to be represented in new Oceania professional competition by South Melbourne". news.com.au. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "New Zealand's newest professional club will compete as South Island United". Friends of Football. 2025-10-07. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
- ^ "Expressions of interest open for inaugural OFC Professional League". Oceania Football Confederation. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
- ^ "OFC Professional League Enters Next Stage". Papua New Guinea Post Courier. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
- ^ "Match schedule confirmed for OFC Pro League". OFC Pro League. 24 November 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Auckland FC". OFC Pro League. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ "Final Names of Auckland FC Pro League Squad Announced". Auckland FC. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Sacha Pisani (14 March 2024). "Historic day for A-Leagues as new Auckland team reveals name, logo and inaugural jersey". A-Leagues.
- ^ "All in for Auckland: Auckland FC Launches 25/26 Season Home & Away Jersey". Auckland FC. 28 August 2025.
- ^ a b Chand, Simran (24 October 2025). "Auvray, Rodu to lead Bula FC in Pro League". FBC News. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Meet the man leading us into history, Roy Krishna, first ever captain of Extra Bula FC". Bula FC. 15 January 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ "We are proud to announce that RK21 is now the Official Sportswear Partner of Bula FC for our inaugural OFC Pro League season". Bula FC. 13 January 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Bula Football Club is proud to welcome Extra Supermarket as the naming rights and major sponsor of the club". Bula FC. 13 January 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c "PNG Hekari's Brazilian coach quits after third loss in OFC Pro League campaign". friendsoffootballnz.com. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ "Hekari Set for Historic OFC Pro League Debut". PNG Hekari FC. 14 January 2026.
- ^ Kei, Jonah (14 January 2026). "PNG Hekari FC to depart for New Zealand tomorrow ahead of OFC Pro League Opener". Sports Tok. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ a b "With the 2026 OFC Pro League campaign fast approaching, we're excited to announce Ben Cahn as head coach for our debut season 👊". Solomon Kings. 13 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Tahiti arrive for opener, Kings join party on Sunday". The National. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ "Introducing our inaugural OFC Pro League jerseys". Solomon Kings FC. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Solomon Kings gets big sponsorship deal from Solomon Ports". Solomon Star. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Christchurch United sign coach Rob Sherman". NZ Sports Wire. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "South Island United to play in new pro football league". Otago Daily Times. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ "Defender Christian Gray to lead South Island United in their first season". friendsoffootballnz.com. 15 January 2026. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "South Island United confirm partnership for OFC Pro League apparel". friendsoffootballnz.com. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "Our new foundation partner…". South Island United. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ "South Melbourne FC". OFC Pro League. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ McKenna, Keane (11 December 2025). "Marco Jankovic: "To Captain this amazing club in this Championship, and to win is so special"". Australian Championship. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ "Kappa joins forces with South Melbourne FC". South Melbourne FC. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Kouroumalis, George (20 February 2025). "South Melbourne confirms Directed Group as Major Partner". South Melbourne FC. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Tahiti United FC". OFC Pro League. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ "Le Tahiti United FC dans les starting-block de l'OFC Pro League 2026 !" [Tahiti United FC is ready to go for the OFC Pro League 2026!]. Tahiti United (in French). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ René, Charlie (17 September 2025). "Tahiti United a signé avec Adidas et prépare le premier recrutement de l'ère « pro »" [Tahiti United has signed with Adidas and is preparing its first recruitment of the "pro" era.]. Radio 1 (in French). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Lars Hopp Appointed as Head Coach of the Vanuatu Men's National Team and Vanuatu United FC". Vanuatu Football Federation. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
- ^ "Vanuatu United FC is delighted to announce Michel Coulon as our team captain". Vanuatu United. 16 January 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ "PNG Hekari FC Welcomes Brazilian coach and players ahead of historic OFC Pro League". PNG Hekari. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Luke Casserly Named AFC Pro League Head Coach". Auckland FC. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Auckland FC reveal five new signings for their OFC Pro League squad". friendsoffootballnz.com. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ^ "Five New Signings as Auckland FC's OFC Pro League Squad Assembles". Auckland FC. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ "More signings made as Auckland FC strengthen their OFC Pro League squad". friendsoffootballnz.com. 8 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "French age-group international 'keeper joins Fiji club in OFC Pro League". friendsoffootballnz.com. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ Nand, Priya (25 December 2025). "Bula FC add Japanese midfielder Yuta Konagaya to squad". Fiji Village. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ "International winger with impressive CV signs for OFC Pro League's Bula". friendsoffootballnz.com. 25 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Buksh, Nilufa (22 December 2025). "Bula FC signs NZ's 19-yr-old goalkeeper Matthew Foord". Fiji Village. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ "New Zealand age group internationals join Fiji's Bula for OFC Pro League". friendsoffootballnz.com. 24 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Laddpeter, Meli (20 December 2025). "Bula FC signs first foreign player". FBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "Brazilian imports boost PNG Hekari ahead of OFC Professional League launch". Friends of Football NZ. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ "PNG Hekari FC". OFC Professional League. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ a b Chandar, Reginald (13 November 2025). "Orobulu and Alick join PNG's Hekari for Pro League". Fiji Live. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "OFC Pro League club sign former men's A-League coach Ben Cahn". friendsoffootballnz.com. 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ "Midfielder becomes 20th signing for OFC Pro League's South Island United". friendsoffootballnz.com. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Squads". OFC Pro League. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Moore, Isaac (22 December 2025). "Six players to follow as South Island United prepare for OFC Pro League debut". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Brew, Andy (4 December 2025). "Nelson footballers embark on professional football dream with South Island United". The Press NZ. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "OFC Pro League's South Island United sign Solomon Islands international". friendsoffootballnz.com. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "South Melbourne sign Yuki Uchida". South Melbourne FC. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ Molivakoro, Vourie (31 October 2025). "Vanuatu United FC signs first player". Daily Post Digital. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ Molivakoro, Vourie (6 November 2025). "Vanuatu United FC signs second foreign player". Daily Post Digital. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
- ^ Molivakoro, Vourie (14 November 2025). "Vanuatu United FC signs Jordy Tasip". Daily Post Digital. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Vanuatu United FC adds two more players". Daily Post Digital. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "Men's National League MVP Owen Smith to play in OFC Pro League". friendsoffootballnz.com. 14 December 2025. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
- ^ "Vanuatu United FC Signs PNG Young Defender Raymond Diho". Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation. 14 November 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Expressions of interest open for inaugural OFC Professional League". Oceania Football Confederation. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- ^ friendsoffootballnz_irqgpj (2025-10-26). "Saudi tourism body to invest almost NZ$35 million in new OFC Pro' League". Friends of Football. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ "OFC Professional League Competition Regulations" (PDF). Oceania Football Confederation. Retrieved 24 October 2025.