Already the 11-day event is a sell-out tournament and is expected to be an overwhelming success, raising the question whether Oceania and its island nations are ready for more?
That question was put to FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke and his optimistic response is exactly what people in the Pacific hoped to hear.
“This is the first time in the Pacific region that a World Cup has been organised and we believe that the transformation has reached such a level that we will be able to organise other FIFA events in the region,” Valcke said.
“Maybe we could have a Futsal World Cup because the infrastructure requirements could be easily met.”
OFC President David Chung agrees with Valcke’s assessment saying there are a number of Pacific Island nations ready, willing and able to host a major FIFA tournament in the near future.
“The 2012 OFC Nations Cup in the Solomon Islands was a huge success and proof that this is a nation capable of hosting an international tournament. New Caledonia ran one of the most successful Pacific Games to date in 2011 and Papua New Guinea is getting ready to do equal of better in 2015.
“These are just a few examples of countries which have succeeded on an international level in the past, and we have smaller nations like Fiji and Vanuatu for example with interesting potential.
“Already for us having one Oceania nation Tahiti in the FIFA Beach Soccer quarter-finals and another, Solomon Islands, with a good chance of joining them. It would be incredible for our region to see this again in the near future.”
FIFA Beach Soccer Committee chairman and FIFA Executive member Marco Polo del Nero is incredibly impressed by the work he has seen from the Local Organising Committee.
“I appreciate the high level of work done to make sure the competition will be a success,” he said.
“I am now looking forward to enjoying the matches and seeing the evolution of the game in general.”
Oceania’s two representative sides Tahiti and Solomon Islands are next in action tomorrow when Tiki Toa face Spain while the Bilikiki face a must- win showdown with central American outfit El Salvador.

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