OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2026
The eighth edition of the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship was held in the Solomon Islands in 2026, with two qualification spots at FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2027™ in Morocco also on offer.
New Zealand had never previously lost a match at the tournament and were drawn alongside the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and qualifying winners Cook Islands in Group A. On the other side of the draw, Tahiti’s late withdrawal meant Papua New Guinea returned to the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship for the first time in a decade as their replacement, joining Samoa, New Caledonia, and Tonga in Group B.
The Young Football Ferns had no trouble topping Group A with three wins and nine points, although relied on a stunning last-gasp winner from Bonnie Rice to defeat Fiji 1-0 in their second group stage match.
The Mini Kulas had previously opened their campaign with a statement 11-0 victory over the Cook Islands on the first matchday, their largest winning margin in OFC U-16 Women’s Championship history, and they joined New Zealand in the semi-finals after defeating the Solomon Islands, 4-3 in the final match of the group.
Meanwhile, New Caledonia topped Group B with three wins, the first time they’ve achieved such a feat at the competition, Heidra Adjoughniope scoring in all three of their group stage matches, including the 1-0 win over Samoa.
They were joined in the last four by one of the stories of the tournament in Papua New Guinea, who after originally missing out on the Championship after coming second in qualifying, and losing their tournament opener 5-2 to New Caledonia, recovered to win their final two group games and progress to the semi-finals in second place.
It meant that Samoa, who had qualified for each of the two previous FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup’s, would not be returning for a third time in 2027.
A familiar tale repeated itself in the semi-finals however, as New Zealand qualified for an 11th successive World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Papua New Guinea, ending the Melanesian’s fairytale run.
They would meet New Caledonia in the final, who made history by qualifying for their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and their nation’s second FIFA women’s tournament, with a 1-0 win over Fiji – Kinë Hmaen scoring the decisive goal.
New Caledonia held New Zealand scoreless for 48 minutes in the decider, but the Young Ferns eventually pulled away to maintain their 100% record at the tournament, Bonnie Rice scoring twice, and Kodi Wilson also finding the back of the net to propel them to an eighth consecutive OFC U-16 Women’s Championship title.
Elsewhere, Fiji finished third, Samoa finished fifth, and the Cook Islands finished on a high with seventh, relegating Tonga back to the qualifying tournament for 2027.
New Zealand’s Lexi Hedington won the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament and also collected the Fair Play Award on behalf of her team.
Meanwhile Fijian sensation, Adi Reva won the Golden Boot for the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, whilst New Caledonia’s Bernadette Nyiekeine was a deserving recipient of the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper.