Sports
Meet Tahiti United, the soccer team that plays all of its games tomorrow
When you conjure an image of Tahiti, likely it will be of a tropical paradise with dazzling beaches and stunning azure waters where thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean lie between you and the cares of your daily life. However, from a footballing perspective, it can be something of a headache being located so far from the rest of the world.
Take the case of Tahiti United, the only team in the world that skips a day forward in time every time it travels to play a match. And then, when it returns home, it arrives back yesterday.
The Tahitians, representing the largest island of French Polynesia, are making their bow in the inaugural OFC Pro League, Oceania’s first professional football competition. They are pitted against seven other teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu — all of which are located to the west of Tahiti, on the other side of the International Date Line.
– What is the OFC Professional League? All you need to know
– Soccer’s longest away trips: Which league hosts the ‘Distance Derby’?
– South Melbourne are in the OFC Pro League, but what about the A-League?
The line, which appears on maps running between the North and South Pole at roughly 180 degrees longitude (save for a few conspicuous kinks along the way to avoid passing directly through inhabited territories) is used globally to mark the point where one day ends and the next begins. Fiji, for example, is a little more than 2,000 miles away from Tahiti — about the same distance as New York City is from Phoenix — but it is 22 hours ahead.
Due to the substantial distances and travel costs involved, the games take place in circuits where the teams come together to play two fixtures each. For 2026, those circuits are being hosted in and around Auckland, Fiji, Honiara, Melbourne and Port Moresby.
This arrangement means that Tahiti United don’t have any home fixtures, leading to them racking up a prodigious number of air miles and multiple moves back and forth in the calendar. For those cheering them on from back home, each Tahiti United game as they follow it is being played tomorrow.
Teams from Tahiti are no stranger to long journeys. Clubs from French overseas departments and territories are allowed to enter the Coupe de France each year, creating some monumental away days. AS Vénus made a 20,000-mile round trip to face French fourth-tier side Trelissac FC in 2021, only to lose 2-0.
Despite the daunting schedule, the presence of Tahiti United in the OFC Pro League has given a huge boost to those in French Polynesia. Competing in a fully professional structure has fundamentally changed Tahiti’s relationship to the beautiful game.
“The logistical challenge is significant,” Tahiti United general manager Temaui Crolas told ESPN. “Squad management, training and travel coordination become more complex when you are constantly moving. You always have to think beyond the match itself.
“But this project is very important for Tahitian football and the professionalization of sports in Tahiti as a whole. We are the first Tahitian professional team in any sport, and we are showing that football here can be part of the biggest stage.”
For the players, the shift to full-time football has come with significant sacrifices. Some have had to quit jobs and leave behind the security of an alternative career outside the sport. All have had to accept long periods on the road and away from their loved ones.
“There is a human cost,” Crolas said. “The players have had to make a sporting transition but also a lifestyle change, moving away from work, family life and routines to meet the demands of professional football.”
Tahiti‘s national football team represents all of French Polynesia — an area of over 2,200 square miles, of which Tahiti is the most populous one of 75 inhabited islands and atolls. On the international stage, Tahiti have fared well in the Oceania Football Confederation and won the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, becoming the first team other than Australia and New Zealand to claim that accolade. In the process Tahiti qualified for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where they lined up against the giants of Spain, Nigeria and Uruguay.
However, when Tahiti United secured their first win of the OFC Pro League season, a 1-0 win over Fiji’s Bula FC, it was a special and important moment. As a new club, Tahiti United have to build a fanbase from scratch and to convince those back home, watching in newly created fan zones in cafés, that they can succeed.
“Winning a match in a professional competition in Oceania is historic,” coach Samuel Garcia, who previously served as Tahiti’s national team boss for six years, told ESPN via email. “The response from home was overwhelmingly positive. For our supporters, our families, and everyone who has always believed in us, this victory was exceptional. More than anything, it confirmed the progress that we are making and that we’re going in the right direction.”
Garcia also pointed out that while the travel can be a challenge, the club knew this was what they signed up for and prepared accordingly.
By the end of the season, Tahiti United’s players and staff will have clocked somewhere in the region of 30,000 miles’ worth of travel and have spent close to an entire week in transit on their round-trips between circuit locations and home. With five circuits and then the final playoff round in May, that’s up to 12 jetlag-inducing journeys forward and back in time across the International Date Line over the course of the four-month campaign.
For Tahiti’s promising players, the OFC Pro League represents an exciting new chance to develop into a professional; something that has been hard to achieve until now.
“Tahiti United also offers a new pathway for young Polynesian players,” Garcia said. “Many families make significant sacrifices to send their children to Europe, but success rates are extremely low. Young players can now aspire to become professionals without leaving their home environment.”
A second win, 2-1 over PNG Hekari of Papua New Guinea, has helped lift Tahiti United away from the bottom of the OFC Pro League table. Club captain and Tahitian football legend Teaonui Tehau believes his side is settling into the new routine.
“Playing all our matches away and travelling for every round naturally has an impact on the group,” he told ESPN via email. “For many players, this is a completely new experience, and they are not used to this type of regular travel.
“Many did not expect us to perform at the level we have but our wins highlighted the strength and solidity of the team, which meant a lot to us. We are embracing the experience and adapting well. It’s strengthening us as a team.”
There are hopes that one day Tahiti United will finally get to be the hosts rather than the away side, but they may have to wait a while for their OFC Pro League home debut.
Tahiti is hosting the 2027 Pacific Games — a multisport event for athletes from all over Oceania. Football will be included, giving Tahiti a chance at glory if they can overcome the likes of New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands, but it will have an impact on Tahiti United’s plans.
“We want to host an OFC Pro League circuit in the future, but it is difficult because of the Pacific Games,” Crolas said. “Our home stadium is one of the grounds for that event, so for our first two OFC Pro League campaigns it won’t be possible. Our target is 2028 for our first home game.”
Tehau said: “Personally, I would love to play Pro League matches one day in Tahiti and finish my career at home, in front of our supporters.”
For now, Tahiti United’s supporters will have to settle for watching from afar. But while the International Date Line means Tahiti’s fans are forever in the past, they can look forward to their heroes’ homecoming somewhere in the future.
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off on June 11 when co-hosts Mexico play South Africa in Mexico City, but six qualification places are still up for grabs in the European and intercontinental playoffs.
The final qualified teams will be confirmed Tuesday with four European nations and the winners of the two intercontinental playoff finals sealing their spot in the Canada, Mexico and the United America this summer.
Kosovo will host Türkiye attempting to reach their first World Cup, and four-time world champions Italy must win at Bosnia and Herzegovina to avoid missing out on the finals for the third successive tournament.
Iraq (1986), Congo DR (as Zaire in 1974), Bolivia (1994) and Türkiye (2002) are all looking to end lengthy absences from the World Cup, but who will be victorious in the six qualification finals?
– World Cup: Who has qualified, and how the rest can make it
– USMNT handed reality check by Belgium ahead of World Cup
– Cost of the World Cup: The price tag to follow your team to glory
EUROPE
PATH A
Winner enters World Cup Group B (Canada, Qatar, Switzerland)
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy (Zenica, Bosnia): Edin Dzeko‘s 86th-minute goal against Wales in Cardiff was the lifeline Bosnia needed to stay in the semifinal and take the game to penalties, which ended with a 4-2 shootout win for Sergej Barbarez’s team. At 40 years old, former Manchester City, AS Roma and Inter Milan striker Dzeko will become one of the oldest outfield players to appear at a World Cup if he can inspire Bosnia again in the final, but Italy will go into the game as strong favorites.
Gennaro Gattuso’s team overcame a nervous start to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 on Bergamo in Thursday’s semifinal and that victory has boosted morale in Italy following playoff heartbreak in 2018 and 2022. Bosnia have home advantage in Zenica at the hostile Stadium Bilino Polje, but Italy have the pedigree of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali and Manuel Locatelli, so they will have no excuses for another playoff failure.
Winners: Italy
1:34
Laurens: Italy face tougher test against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Julien Laurens breaks down Bosnia and Herzegovina’s dramatic penalty win over Wales ahead of their World Cup showdown with Italy.
PATH B
Winner enters World Cup Group F (Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia)
Sweden vs. Poland (Stockholm, Sweden): Viktor Gyökeres almost single-handedly sealed Sweden’s place in the final with a hat trick in Thursday’s 3-1 semifinal win against Ukraine in Valencia. Sweden, now coached by former Chelsea and West Ham United boss Graham Potter, seriously underperformed during the qualifiers witha winless group campaign, but they now have a home game against Poland to book a place at the World Cup.
The Poles had to fight back from going a goal down against Albania in Warsaw before winning 2-1 with goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski and they go into the Sweden game having run Netherlands close in their qualifying group. Recent form suggests that Poland will be favorites, but Sweden are at home and the confidence of a big win against Ukraine. It will be close, but Sweden will shade it — maybe even on penalties.
Winners: Sweden
PATH C
Winner enters World Cup Group D (United States, Paraguay, Australia)
Kosovo vs. Türkiye (Pristina, Kosovo): Though Türkiye’s semifinal against Romania went as expected with Vincenzo Montella’s team winning 1-0 through Ferdi Kadioglu‘s goal, Kosovo upset the odds with a 4-3 win away to Slovakia. Kosovo went into the playoffs as the lowest-ranked European nation still alive in the competition, sitting in 78th position between Israel and Oman in the FIFA World Ranking, but they dominated in Bratislava to seal a deserved victory.
Franco Foda’s team is young, bold and full of pace and energy, and they have the ability to shock a Türkiye team stacked with top talent including Arda Güler, Hakan Çalhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz. Türkiye have won the two previous meetings between the teams and will be favorites, but Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri will be rocking in Pristina on Tuesday, and a passionate atmosphere could tip the balance in Kosovo’s favor.
Winners: Kosovo
PATH D
Winner enters World Cup Group A (Mexico, South Korea, South Africa)
Czechia vs. Denmark (Prague, Czechia): Czechia looked dead and buried against the Republic of Ireland after finding themselves 2-0 down in Prague after 23 minutes, but Miroslav Koubek’s team fought back to take the game to penalties before winning 4-3 from the spot kicks.
But the Czechs will face a Denmark side that showed its quality with a 4-0 win against North Macedonia in Copenhagen, so the Danes will be strong favorites heading into the final. The questions about Denmark have nothing to do with their quality — coach Brian Riemer has Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Højlund and Christian Norgaard on his roster — but whether they can handle the pressure of being favorites. A draw against Belarus and defeat against Scotland saw them blow their hopes of automatic qualification, so will they feel the heat against the Czechs? That’s the danger for Denmark, but perhaps beating North Macedonia has proved their mettle.
Winners: Denmark
INTERCONTINENTAL PLAYOFFS
PATHWAY 1
Winner enters World Cup Group K (Portugal, Uzbekistan, Colombia)
Congo DR vs. Jamaica (Zapopan, Mexico): Jamaica toiled to a 1-0 win against rank outsiders New Caledonia in the semifinal, so they will have to step up several levels to have any hope of beating Congo DR.
Congo, nicknamed the “Warriors of the Equator,” have top-level European experience in their squad with Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United), Arthur Masuaku (Lens), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United) and captain Chancel Mbemba (Lille), so they should be too strong for a Jamaica side led by interim coach Rudolph Speid. Wrexham’s Bailey Cadamarteri scored the match winner for Jamaica against New Caledonia, but repeating that effort will be tough against one of the strongest African teams.
Winners: Congo DR
PATHWAY 2
Winner enters World Cup Group I (France, Senegal, Norway)
Iraq vs. Bolivia (Guadalupe, Mexico): Iraq’s preparations for their playoff have been thrown into disarray by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, forcing coach Graham Arnold to ask FIFA for the game to postponed due to the difficulties of his squad being about to travel from the region. But Tuesday’s match will go ahead and the Lions of Mesopotamia will have a full squad due to call on after being given the use of a private jet to travel to Mexico. Whether the disruption to their plans will affect Iraq’s chances remains to be seen, but Bolivia’s 2-1 semifinal win over Suriname, when they overturned a 1-0 deficit to claim victory, showed that the South American nation is match ready — the same cannot be said for Iraq. Having had no competitive games since December, Iraq might struggle to win this game and end a 40-year wait for a World Cup appearance.
Winners: Bolivia
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Shedeur Sanders is making a jersey change heading into his sophomore NFL season, and he’s going back to his Colorado roots.
Sanders, who wore No. 12 during his rookie season, will wear No. 2 next year for the Cleveland Browns.
As the Browns made it official on social media, Sanders did so as well, writing “#2” on X to coincide with his squad.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem prior to a NFL preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
The move comes after wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who wore the number for Cleveland last season, is no longer on the roster. Now that he has a year under his belt, Sanders can make the change.
And he does so with his old college number, as Sanders wore No. 2 at Jackson State University before transferring to Colorado, as his father, Deion Sanders, took the head coach role with the Buffaloes.
SHEDEUR SANDERS’ WILD 2025 BEGAN WITH DRAFT FALL, BUT IT’S ENDING WITH HOPE AFTER TUMULTUOUS TURNS
While he was wearing No. 12 last season, Sanders started the year in a depth role, as veteran Joe Flacco was Kevin Stefanski’s starting quarterback. But, when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals following Joe Burrow’s injury, Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds before Sanders in a shocking NFL Draft for the Buffaloes product, took over the role.
He would be Gabriel’s backup, but after the latter’s struggles and injury, it was Sanders’ time to step up.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Sanders won his first-ever start against the Las Vegas Raiders and went 3-4 across seven starts as he remained the starter for the remainder of the season. Since then, Stefanski was fired; head coach Todd Monken was hired, and the veteran coach who served as John Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens echoed what the Browns said heading into 2026 — there will be an open quarterback competition.
Monken told NFL Network at the NFL owners meeting in Phoenix on Monday that the Browns haven’t “gotten that far yet” in terms of naming Sanders their starter heading into the team’s offseason program.
Deshaun Watson, who has had a turbulent Browns tenure, is back in the fold, while Gabriel is back healthy heading into 2026.
Sanders surely understands he’ll have to prove himself again with a new coaching staff in the building, as that’s ultimately the nature of the NFL except for a rare group of certified starters.
Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) celebrate a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland on Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But Sanders has a Pro Bowl under his belt already despite the small sample size on the NFL gridiron. He’s looking to build off the momentum of last season, but it’ll be a fresh start with a new number.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Kentucky is targeting Jackson State coach and former NBA All-Star Mo Williams for an assistant coach position on Mark Pope’s staff, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The move has not been finalized, sources said, but there’s clear mutual interest and both sides expect a deal to be reached.
Williams’ son, Mason, committed to Kentucky last week. Mason Williams is a four-star guard who originally committed to Jackson State but decommitted in early December as his stock rose and potential recruitment expanded to power-conference programs.
Mo Williams has coached at Jackson State for four seasons, going 47-25 in SWAC play and reaching the championship game of the conference tournament last season.
Prior to taking over at Jackson State, Williams was the head coach at Alabama State for two seasons and an assistant coach under Mark Gottried at Cal State Northridge for two seasons.
Williams enjoyed a 13-year playing career in the NBA, averaging 13.2 points and 4.9 assists while playing for seven different franchises. He won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and was a 2009 All-Star selection during his first stint with the Cavs.
Pope’s staff at Kentucky is undergoing a reshuffle, with Jason Hart leaving the Wildcats for a spot on Andy Enfield’s staff at SMU and Alvin Brooks III also not returning next season.
Methanol jumps nearly 150% as oil surge disrupts markets
Could oil hit $200 a barrel? Experts warn of risks if Iran war drags on – The Times of India
2026 World Cup playoffs: Who will claim the final six spots?
-
Politics7 days agoAfghanistan announces release of detained US citizen
-
Sports7 days agoBroadcast industry CEO says consolidation is ‘essential’ to compete for NFL soaring media rights prices
-
Entertainment7 days agoUN warns migratory freshwater fish numbers are spiralling
-
Business7 days agoProperty Play: Home flippers see smallest profits since the Great Recession, real estate data firm says
-
Tech7 days agoCan a Home Appliance Fix the Problem of Soft-Plastic Waste?
-
Business7 days agoGold prices soar in Pakistan – SUCH TV
-
Fashion7 days agoICE cotton slips on weaker crude, profit booking
-
Business7 days agoMore women are entering wealth management, but few are in advisory roles, study finds