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OFC Professional League
Men's association football league in Oceania From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The OFC Professional League (OFCPL; also known as the OFC Pro League) is a professional association football league organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). Planned to debut in the 2026 season, it is the first fully-professional association football league in Oceania. The league's champion will qualify for the annual FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the league will also serve as a pathway to the quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup.
The Pro League was founded in 2019 as part of an effort by the OFC to foster professionalism in Oceanian football. It initially planned to commence play in 2021, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania. Expressions of interest from clubs in various countries were received ahead of the selection of the league's eight charter clubs in August 2025.
The vision of the league is to create a pathway for Oceania's players to be scouted and join top clubs in Australia, Asia, and Europe.[1] An early roster concept includes composite teams similar to Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika, with squads primarily built upon Oceanian players and featuring marquee players from other regions.[2]
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History
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In 2019, the Oceania Football Confederation formed a task force to determine the viability of a professional football league for the Oceania region.[2] The league was initially expected to begin play in 2021.[1] However, progress was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] In November 2022 in Doha, Qatar, the OFC Executive Committee voted to move forward with the league, initially targeting a 2025 launch.[3] The launch was later postponed to 2026 to allow clubs time to transition to fully professional status.[4] In January 2024, the OFC announced plans to implement the VAR system for the league's first season.[5] The league's formation and development operated on the following timeline:[6]
- End of June 2025 – Conclusion of the club application process.
- August 2025 – OFC Licensing Committee submits recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee.
- September 2025 – Final approval and issuance of licenses to the eight selected clubs.
On 29 January 2025, the OFC held a meeting at its headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand to discuss the league with potential New Zealand-based clubs.[7] The OFC also opened expressions of interest for clubs across the region to participate in the inaugural season.[8] Additionally, Australian-based clubs were invited to participate.[9] By February 2025, initial interest had been received from clubs in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand.[10] Among the clubs that submitted expressions of interest to the OFC were Eastern United and Sunshine Coast Fire from Australia,[11][12] Wellington Phoenix and Nelson Suburbs from New Zealand,[13][14] Bougainville, Port Moresby, and Lae City from Papua New Guinea,[12] and Real Kakamora from the Solomon Islands.[13] The participants in the league's inaugural season were announced in August 2025.[15]
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Format
The competition plans to runs from January to May. It will feature five circuit series rounds held across various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format, with each team playing a minimum of 14 matches.
Following the regular season, teams will be split into two playoff groups:
- Leaders Playoff Group – The top four teams will compete for three semi-final berths.
- Challengers Playoff Group – The bottom four teams will compete for a chance of a semi-final spot.
The semi-finals and grand final will be single-leg matches.[8] The league will also serve as Oceania's qualifying pathway for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.[8]
As part of their inclusion in the competition, Auckland must field an age-restricted side.[16]
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Clubs
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2000km
1243miles
1243miles
Locations of clubs competing in the 2026 season.
As of its inaugural 2026 season, eight clubs have been selected to compete in the OFC Professional League, including four from Melanesia, three from Polynesia, and one from Australia.[17][18][16] Auckland FC, Christchurch United, PNG Hekari and South Melbourne were pre-existing clubs, while Bula FC, Solomon Kings, Tahiti United, and Vanuatu United were new clubs created for the competition. South Melbourne, an Australian club under the jurisdiction of the Asian Football Confederation, is a fully-expatriated member,[19][20][21] though Solomon Kings is partly owned by another Australian club, Wynnum Wolves.[22][23] Wellington Phoenix, despite being one of Oceania’s most established professional sides, was notably excluded from the league’s inaugural lineup, a decision the club is currently contesting through legal channels following an unsuccessful licensing bid. [24]
On 8 October 2025, Christchurch United announced that it would compete in the competition as South Island United.[25]
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See also
- List of top-division football clubs in OFC countries
- African Football League, a defunct tournament with a similar format for clubs in Africa
- European Super League, a proposed tournament with a similar format for clubs in Europe
References
External links
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