Club Application Process Concludes For 13 OFC Professional League Hopefuls

The final phase of the Club Application Process for the inaugural OFC Professional League has officially concluded, with 13 clubs submitting their Club Licensing documentation by the July 18 deadline.

These clubs are vying to be among the eight selected to compete in Oceania’s first-ever professional football league, which is set to kick off in January 2026.

OFC Professional League Manager Stuart Larman says the conclusion of the submission phase marks another key milestone in the competition's journey.

“The clubs’ have worked very hard to meet all the requirements of the Club Licensing regulations and their submissions are now being assessed, with evaluations expected to be completed by mid-August,” Larman said.

Following this, the independent OFC Club Licensing Committee will review the assessments and recommend the successful applicants to the OFC Executive Committee. A final decision is scheduled before the end of August.

The process began in January with 24 expressions of interest, which were narrowed down to 13 clubs across the region in February. The breakdown includes:

Four clubs from New Zealand, two each from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, one club each from Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu.

Australia is permitted a maximum of one team in the league, while OFC Member Associations may have a maximum of two teams.

League Format and Structure

The inaugural season will run from early January through to the end of May 2026, with each club playing a minimum of 17 matches.

The competition will feature five “circuit series” rounds hosted at various Pacific locations, using a double round-robin format. After this phase, teams will be split into two playoff groups: Leaders and Challengers.

The Leaders Playoff Group will see the top four teams battle for three of the four semi-final spots.

The Challengers Playoff Group will involve the remaining teams, with the top side earning a playoff match against the fourth-placed team from the Leaders Group for the final semi-final berth.

The semi-finals and the grand final will be single-leg knockout matches. The format has been designed to maintain competitive intensity and fan engagement throughout the season.

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