Cam Howieson (L) of Auckland City avoids the attention of Gabiriele Matanisiga of Wellington Olympic during their OFC men's Champions League national playoff in 2024. Photo: Photosport
Teams wanting to be part of the new Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League have until June to register their interests.
On Tuesday, the OFC announced that only eight teams will be finalised in September and given licenses to compete in the league, which is set to kick off in January 2026.
The OFC announced that club application process ends in June, with the OFC Licensing Committee's recommendations to the OFC Executive Committee done in August, and the final approval of licenses in September.
OFC general secretary Franck Castillo said the OFC Professional League is set to redefine the football landscape in the region, establishing a competitive and sustainable framework for elite football.
"The launch of the OFC Professional League is a transformative moment for football in Oceania," Castillo said.
"It will not only elevate the standard of the game but also provide a competitive platform for our clubs and players to thrive on the international stage.
"With eight premier teams from across the Pacific, the league promises to set new benchmarks for performance, competition, and opportunity."
The OFC said the league's proposed format is designed to keep fans and players engaged throughout the season.
The eight teams will compete in five circuit series between January and May 2026, across various Pacific locations in a double round-robin format, culminating in a minimum of 17 matches per team.
The competition will then intensify with teams split into two playoff groups, a Leaders Playoff Group for the pop four teams competing for semi-final berths and the Challengers Playoff Group, which will feature the bottom four teams vying for redemption.
The top team from that bottom pool will earn chance to face the fourth-placed Leaders Playoff team for a semi-final spot.
The OFC said semi-finals and the grand final will be single-leg matches, ensuring every game is high stakes, with the winner crowned the inaugural OFC Professional League Champions.
"This league is designed to be a catalyst for football development across Oceania," OFC Professional League Manager Stuart Larman said.
"The format ensures that the competition remains exciting right until the very end, with the fourth-placed team having the opportunity to play off against the fifth-place team for a spot in the semi-finals.
"This structure keeps every match meaningful and maintains competitive intensity throughout the season."
The OFC Professional League will become the qualifying pathway for Oceania's representative at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ and the newly formatted, quadrennial FIFA Club World Cup™ 2029.
There has been initial interests from Fiji, Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand in having teams in the new league.
