Nicolas King
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicolas Francis King[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 April 2004[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Port Vila, Vanuatu | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Vanuatu United | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Mauriki | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2023[3][4] | Mauriki | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Valentine FC | 22 | (2+) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Mauriki | ||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | Vanuatu United | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Vanuatu U19 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Vanuatu U23 | 4 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–[4] | Vanuatu | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:34, 6 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 21:34, 6 February 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Nicolas Francis King (born 14 April 2004) is a Vanuatuan footballer who plays as a defender for OFC Professional League club Vanuatu United and the Vanuatu national team.
Early life
King was born on 14 April 2004[1] in Port Vila to Francis and Gloria Julia King.[3][5] His father is a businessman and former Member of Parliament for the Efate Rural constituency in Vanuatu.[3][5] His mother is also a Member of Parliament and was a former international footballer and manager for Vanuatu.[3][5] King attended Central School in Port Vila and played football for Mauriki, becoming youth team captain in 2018[6] and eventually breaking into their first team at the age of 16.[3][5] He was offered a two-week trial by A-League Men club Central Coast Mariners in Gosford, Australia through Brian Kaltak's agent in December 2023.[3][5][7]
Club career
Following his trial with Central Coast Mariners, King was announced in January 2024 to have joined Valentine FC in the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW.[6] He scored on his debut for the club and played all twenty-two matches in the 2024 season.[4]
After one year King rejoined Mauriki,[8] and then in November 2025, he joined OFC Professional League club Vanuatu United ahead of the inaugural 2026 season.[9]
International career
King represented the Vanuatu under-19 in the OFC U-19 Championship and Vanuatu under-23 squads.[1][3][5] He was named captain for the under-23s ahead of the 2023 OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[3][5]
During the 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup, King made his debut for the Vanuatu senior team against Solomon Islands on 9 December 2024.[4] He scored his first goal for Vanuatu as they lost the match 4–1.[10] He was then included in the squad and played against Papua New Guinea Gold in the 2025 MSG Prime Minister's Cup final on 23 November 2025 which was won by Vanuatu.[11]
Career statistics
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 2024 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Vanuatu's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each King goal.[12]
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 December 2024 | Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands | 1 | Solomon Islands | 1–3 | 1–4 | 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup | [10] |
Honours
Vanuatu
References
- ^ a b c d "N. King: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Nicolas King: A star in the making, aiming to follow in Brian Kaltak's Footsteps". Oceania Football Center. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Campo, Jose (11 December 2023). "Vanuatun teen eyes Central Coast Mariners breakthrough". The Roar. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Nicolas King". National Football Teams.
- ^ a b c d e f g Evans, Kyle (7 December 2023). "Central Coast Mariners turn their sights on another Vanuatu footballer". ABC Pacific. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ a b Mwai, Nicholas (10 January 2024). "King to play for Valentine FC in Australia". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Mwia, Nicholas (2 December 2023). "U-23 captain leaving for trial with Central Coast Mariners". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ "Nicholas King joins Vanuatu United FC". Daily Post Digital Network. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ "Vanuatu FC Renamed "Vanuatu United FC" to Represent the Whole Nation". vff.vu. Vanuatu Football Federation. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Solomon Islands MSG Cup Defense". Tavuli News. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Vanuatu Stun PNG in Port Moresby to Claim First-Ever MSG Cup Crown". Papua New Guinea Today. 23 November 2025. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Nicolas King (Valentine)". Flashscore. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Nicolas King". National Football Teams.
- ^ "Vanuatu Names Final 20-Man Squad for 2025 MSG Prime Minister's Cup in PNG". November 4, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ^ "Vanuatu Stun PNG in Port Moresby to Claim First-Ever MSG Cup Crown". November 23, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.