OFC Pro League 2026
Oceania football history was made on January 17 2026, when the OFC Pro League kicked off at Eden Park in Auckland, with eight teams from across the region competing to lift the Pacific’s first-ever professional league title.
The competition adopted a circuit-series format, with six rounds being held throughout Oceania, leading to a knockout round and eventual final – also held at Eden Park – on May 24.
Auckland played host to Round 1, with the two finalists – Auckland FC and South Melbourne FC – starting strong, despite some fixtures postponed due to heavy rain in the city. Three Round 1 fixtures would be fulfilled in March, following the conclusion of Round 3. Alex Saniel had the honour of scoring the league’s first goal, as Vanuatu United FC began with a 2-2 draw with Bula FC.
Round 2 saw the league move to Papua New Guinea, with the hot and humid conditions causing for a few upsets – most notably Auckland FC’s heavy 3-1 defeat to the impressive Solomon Kings FC in Port Moresby. South Island United and South Melbourne played out an early contender for match of the season, with a back-and-forth epic that finished 3-3.
Australia hosted Round 3, with fixtures played across two venues in Melbourne. Weather was again a factor, with two matches disrupted by stormy conditions, which would be played later in the season in April. Papua New Guinea’s PNG Hekari FC made their mark in Round 3, securing a maiden victory with a strong 3-1 win against Vanuatu United.
Football-mad Solomon Islands welcomed the OFC Pro League for Round 4, with local side Solomon Kings looking to leverage home advantage. The highlight of the round however came at their expense, when Auckland FC goalkeeper Oscar Mason produced a dramatic last-minute penalty save from Sota Higashide to deny the home team a crucial point.
By the time Round 5 kicked off in Fiji, Auckland FC had established themselves as the league’s front-runners, but it was a competitive field gathering behind, as teams vied for a place in the Leaders Group and the hope of a semi-final berth. Bula FC were backed by a passionate crowd in Ba and Suva respectively and repaid their fans with two crucial victories – 1-0 against PNG Hekari and a memorable 2-1 win over Auckland FC.
Round 6 saw the eight teams split into two groups – Leaders and Challengers Group – with the top four of Auckland FC, South Melbourne, Bula FC and South Island United occupying the former, and Solomon Kings, Tahiti United, Vanuatu United and PNG Hekari FC the latter.
South Melbourne impressed in the Leaders Group, winning three of three to finish top ahead of Auckland FC, with South Island United in third and Bula FC fourth respectively.
Vanuatu United topped the Challengers Group, thanks in part to a crucial 3-2 win over closest rivals Solomon Kings. They then faced Bula FC in the Semi-final playoff, winning 2-1 after extra-time to book a place in the semi-finals.
South Melbourne sealed their place in the final, overcoming Vanuatu United with a dominant 4- 0 win at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, before Auckland FC joined them, seeing off South Island United with a narrow 1-0 win in the fourth New Zealand derby of the season.
The Kiwis would prove just too much for their Australian counterparts in the trans-Tasman final. Daniel Normann and Matt Ellis with goals to clinch the title, despite a late response from Yuki Uchida. The victory gave Auckland FC the trophy and their place in the history books as the winner of the first-ever OFC Pro League.
Normann would clinch the Golden Ball as the league’s player of the season, with teammate Oscar Mason picking up the Golden Glove as outstanding goalkeeper. Vanuatu United’s Alex Saniel took home the Golden Boot as top scorer, with an impressive 11 goals, whilst Auckland FC won the Fair Play Award.