Tuvalu will return to the futsal court at the OFC Futsal Men’s Cup in Suva this week, marking their first appearance at an OFC Futsal competition in 14 years.
The small island nation last featured at the OFC Futsal Championship 2011 also held in Fiji. Since then, Tuvalu’s involvement in futsal has been limited to the Pacific Games, with little chance to test themselves against Oceania’s strongest sides.
Tuvalu Football General Secretary Matini Vailopa says the federation is determined to provide its players with more pathways.
“It was a vision that we were trying to connect our young talent, football, to Oceania and other parts of the Pacific,” he said. “To be part of the OFC Futsal Men’s Cup is a good opportunity for us, it’s been quite a few years for Tuvalu to join a futsal competition.”
Preparation for Tuvalu has been unique, with no futsal courts available on the islands, the national squad have used the Tuvalu’s Funafuti airfield as their training ground.
“They train in the airfield, that’s our place we use to do our trainings. The last time we trained was high tide in Tuvalu, so some of the areas were flooded,” said Vailopa.
Despite these challenges, the squad was able to assemble locally and travel to Fiji early to continue their build-up. Training at the Univeristy of the South Pacific gym gave the players a rare taste of proper futsal facilities.
“Our players headed to Fiji early to expose them to good facilities. So, when they went over (and) using the University of the South Pacific gym, the players were excited to play on a good court apart from the airfield.”
The decision was made to compete in the tournament in early August, and support quickly followed.
“I want to acknowledge our local businesses, our banks, the government of Tuvalu and our major sponsor DeepAI.org for supporting our team,” said Vailopa.
The return has also sparked support from the Tuvalu community who are excited to see their country represented on the regional stage.
“Fans are excited to hear how Tuvalu found a spot in the OFC Futsal Men’s Cup, and some of the young ones are looking forward to the opportunity.
“Our supporters are looking forward to back our players, let’s challenge ourselves to compete with the top teams from the Pacific.”
Tuvalu will line up against some of Oceania’s strongest futsal nations in Suva, and for the players and federation, the focus is on growth and gaining experience on the regional stage.
Tuvalu face New Zealand in their first match on Sunday September 21 2025 at 4:00PM (Fiji time).
See the full match schedule below:
