Sports
Tahiti vs. Vanuatu? All you need to know about soccer’s newest pro league
Kicking off on Jan. 17, 2026, at Auckland’s famous Eden Park, the OFC Professional League, even if you might not have heard of it until now, is one of the most ambitious footballing projects in recent memory.
Covering the vast expanse of the Pacific, the FIFA-backed league will seek to bring professional football to not just one country for the first time but an entire confederation, with a view already towards expanding as far as the United States.
Here’s all you need to know about soccer’s newest professional league.
What is the OFC Pro League?
The OFC Pro League is a new, professional competition that has been set up by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), with the support of FIFA. Given their small size and the relatively nascent stage of its footballing development — New Zealand is the largest nation in the region — none of the OFC’s members have previously been able to support a fully professional competition, which this cross-confederation competition seeks to address.
In providing a new professional destination, it’s hoped the competition will help to raise the level of football in the OFC, which now holds a direct qualification slot to the FIFA World Cup under the newly expanded 48-team format. The competition will also provide a stronger pathway and platform for players from the Pacific to earn moves to clubs in Australia, Asia, and the rest of the world.
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“To be accepted into this professional league is already huge for us,” Solomon Islands technical director Moses Toata told ESPN. “It means a lot of opportunities for coaches, for players, and for football in the country. It will change a lot of things; the way we look at football, the way we approach football.
“The changes that the professional league will bring to player development, there’s aspiration, even for the young ones. They will look up to the pros in the league, and say: ‘That’s where I want to be.’
“We just don’t [presently] have the right environment to nurture them and to develop the talents. We do have a lot of younger fans coming up, and I can say, with this league, I think this will increase the opportunity for more players coming up through the ranks. For our youth development programs, to our national academy program, and hopefully, in the future, we can see them at this stage.”
Which clubs will play in the OFC Pro League?
The inaugural edition of the competition will field eight teams, featuring a mix of existing and newly created entities. New Zealand is the only nation with two representatives, with Auckland FC representing the country’s North Island, and South Island United (rebadged from Christchurch United) representing its South.
Auckland FC (Auckland, New Zealand)
Bula FC (Fiji)
PNG Hekari (Papua New Guinea)
Solomon Kings (Solomon Islands)
South Island United (Christchurch, New Zealand)
South Melbourne (Australia)
Tahiti United (French Polynesia)
Vanuatu United (Vanuatu)
What’s the format of the OFC Pro League?
The new competition will run from January through to the end of May, with each entrant playing a minimum of 17 games. Teams will initially face each other twice across a series of circuit rounds planned to be staged across Auckland (New Zealand), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Melbourne (Australia), Honiara (Solomon Islands), Lautoka (Fiji), and Suva (Fiji). Full fixtures are yet to be released.
Following the circuit series’ conclusion, the four sides with the most points will be split off into a “leaders” group, and the bottom four will be placed into a “challengers” group. Following another round-robin, the three highest-ranked sides from the leaders group will advance to the semifinals, while its bottom-placed side will face the highest-ranked side from the challengers group in a playoff to determine the final semifinal spot.
The single-leg semifinals and final will then be played in a central location, with Eden Park set to host these fixtures in the first year.
What’s at stake in the OFC Pro League?
Beyond earning the right to call themselves the champions of the Pacific, the winner of the OFC Pro League will secure a place in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, while team’s performances in the competition on a quadrennial basis will be used to determine Oceania’s entrant at the newly reformatted FIFA Club World Cup.
How is the OFC Pro League being funded?
Clubs will be required to cover the costs of their own personnel, but the OFC has committed to subsidising the first four years of the competition with a US$40 million investment, which itself has been made possible thanks to the financial backing of FIFA.
Speaking at a launch event for Fijian outfit Bula FC, Fiji Football Association president Rajesh Patel, who also serves as a member of the OFC Executive Committee and the FIFA Council, claimed the competition would receive a four-year, US$20 million investment from the Saudi Tourism Authority, saying “we are thankful for this investment, which makes professional football a reality in our region.”
Speaking at a launch event for the league in Auckland in October, OFC general secretary Franck Castillo wouldn’t comment on the prospect of Saudi money being used to help fund the competition, nor claims that such an investment would represent an attempt at “sportswashing.”
“We are still finalising. We cannot answer yet,” Castillo said. “We are formalising everything, but in due course we will announce all the funding, but let’s say that it’s secured.
“I won’t comment on that, but when it comes to partnerships, I will explain [at a later date].
“We’ve got a good reason to partner with the people who want to partner.”
The Pacific has seen a significant amount of investment in sports in recent years, mostly tied to broader geopolitical maneuvering. China invested more than $US100 million in infrastructure for the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands — which was described as a gift, not a loan — while the Australian Government has partnered with the NRL to place a new franchise in Papua New Guinea.
Are there any roster or spending restrictions in the OFC Pro League?
The OFC Pro League will not feature a salary cap but will have limits on the number of foreign players a team can field. In addition to fielding an unlimited number of players drawn from within their country, entrants will be allowed to field three players from the OFC in their squads, in addition to a further three players drawn from anywhere in the world.
Vanuatu United has already announced the signing of former Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Matt Acton and Australian defender Hassan Ramazani ahead of the opening season, while PNG Hekari — Papua New Guinea’s most successful side, that has rebranded from Hekari United — have signed Brazilians Erick Joe, Kaûe Silva, and Rafael Chaves.
Is there VAR in the OFC Pro League?
Yes, the cameras necessary to implement video review will be placed at every stadium that hosts games during the competition, with training and match simulations already commenced for OFC VAR officials, who will work out of an Auckland-based hub, under the guidance of former UEFA Champions League final official Mihaly Fabian.
Who has the OFC Pro League broadcast rights?
While OFC officials hope the league eventually grows to the point where it is attracting broadcast revenue, the OFC Pro League will be available globally and for free on the FIFA+ platform, where games from various Oceanian club and international countries are currently broadcast.
The OFC says that broadcasts will be produced using a five-camera setup, with commentators — drawn from the ranks of local media at the various locations where the competition will be staged — that will visit during its circuit series, calling games on location.
What’s the future of the OFC Pro League?
Long-term, it’s the hope of clubs that the competitions will expand and become financially viable enough to adopt a home-and-away format. Castillo indicated that the OFC aspires to expand the league by two as soon as possible, but that this will depend on funding, with other officials telling ESPN that such an aspiration would largely depend not only on the strength of new applicants for the competition but also on how well foundational clubs established themselves.
American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, are full OFC members that aren’t yet represented in the new competition, while Kiribati and Tuvalu are associate members that are likewise unrepresented. With Asian Football Confederation member Australia represented via South Melbourne, OFC officials have already flagged a willingness to take the league outside the confederation and have previously expressed an openness to a team based in the United States.
“The league needs to grow,” Castillo said at the launch event. “We are starting now with eight teams, because it’s about funding, and we have the funding for eight teams. But we want to have more than eight teams in the future. And we are very confident with that. The first year is always the most difficult, because people do not believe in this thing.
“We know that this will be a major project, not only for the region, but for the world. Because I can tell you, the world will talk about this league. We are the only confederation without professional football, and we will now demonstrate that we can do it.
“And you will see amazing results. And because of the amazing results, people will talk about this league around the world. That will be a human story. So I’m very confident that we will secure more funding, and with more funding, we can get more than eight teams. At the moment, it’s a circuit series. If we increase more than 10 teams, then we have like a conference League, and we can have more and more teams.”
Did you say a team from the United States could play in the OFC Pro League?
Yes, a team from Hawaii, to be precise. With Honolulu a nine-hour flight from Auckland, Castillo said that placing a team in Hawaii remains an aspiration of the OFC, which would not only maintain the Pacific nature of the competition but also give it a foothold in the United States, in theory giving it a greater ability to commercialise.
“It’s about market as well, to open to the U.S. market and the Americas market,” he said.
Why are Auckland FC allowed to play in the OFC Pro League?
Auckland FC somewhat stand out among the OFC Pro League’s inaugural entrants in that they’re the only club that was already playing in a professional competition: the A-League Men. Bankrolled by American billionaire businessman Bill Foley, who also owns AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League and the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL, Auckland FC are the defending premiers of the A-League, finishing atop the table as an expansion franchise in 2025.
Despite the A-League and OFC Pro League seasons overlapping, the club plans to maintain a presence in both competitions heading into the future, with football director Terry McFlynn, rather than the A-League coach Steve Corica, to lead the side into the Pacific. This has necessitated extra restrictions on their roster: limited to fielding a maximum of three players over the age of 23 contracted to their A-League side. They will, however, be allowed to field further players over the age of 23 if they aren’t registered for the A-League. Both Auckland and the OFC insist that the club won’t simply be fielding a reserve side in the OFC Pro League, with it expected that it will look to recruit extra players, especially from the Pacific, for its new commitment.
Importantly, Auckland FC will also be eligible to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup through the new competition, and while they’re prevented from fielding their strongest squad in the OFC Pro League, the placements of transfer windows surrounding the global club showpiece would allow them to do so in the Club World Cup without running afoul of their registration restrictions.
“The winner goes to the Intercontinental Cup each year, and then the most successful team every four years gets to go to the Club World Cup,” Auckland chief executive Nick Becker told ESPN. “That’s something that isn’t possible for us in the A-League setup. Even if we win the A-League, as we did when we won the Premiers’ Plate last season, we didn’t qualify for the Asian Champions League because we can’t, because we’re an Oceanian team. This now gives us the opportunity to go out there and compete on those global stages.”
Why is South Melbourne, an Australian team, allowed to play in the OFC Pro League?
South Melbourne also stand out given they’re based in Australia, which left the OFC to join the Asian confederation in 2006. South’s presence in the league — and the absence of A-League side Wellington Phoenix — has raised many an eyebrow in soccer circles.
South Melbourne have a long, storied history. Named Oceania Club of the Century in 2010, the then South Melbourne Hellas were a stalwart of the Australian top flight — the NSL — until its demise in 2004. Omitted when the A-League was founded in 2005, South have been fighting for top-league football ever since. Now a foundation member of the new Australian second-tier, the Australian Championship, South will maintain their existing commitments alongside the OFC Pro League and will be required to make the step up from a semi-professional level to compete.
However, mirroring the situation confronting Kiwi-based sides Auckland and Wellington in the A-League, South will not be eligible to qualify for FIFA international tournaments through the OFC Pro League. They will, though, be eligible to receive a share of the FIFA World Cup payments that will be redistributed throughout the league by the OFC to ensure competitive balance.
“It’s a little bit like the same situation that we’ve got with the A-League,” Castillo said. “The A-League has invited two teams from New Zealand [to compete] and we believe that we should have done the same [for the OFC Pro League].
“It’s also a practical situation. We open the Australian market and we open the Asian markets [with South Melbourne’s entry]. Therefore, it’s a win-win situation.
“Australia was part of the OFC before. And there’s a long history with South Melbourne. They have been named the club of the century for Oceania. And I think that they are very proud [of that]. It was a competitive [bidding] process, with independent members to select the clubs, and we are happy that, finally, South Melbourne can come back with us.”
How competitive will the OFC Pro League be?
On a surface level, fully professional Auckland, even with the restrictions on overaged players they will operate with, appear to be the clear favourites for this new competition — especially considering semiprofessional Kiwi outfit Auckland City ran roughshod over the OFC Champions League for years. South Melbourne, meanwhile, are one of the most well-backed clubs outside the A-League in Australia and, on a surface level, would seem their closest rivals.
OFC officials, however, are confident that both clubs will face plenty of challenges in the new season.
With the opportunity to play in a professional competition, many of the Pacific-based clubs are expected to almost become quasi-national teams. Stéphane Auvray is the head coach of both Bula FC and Fiji, Samuel Garcia is set to lead both Tahiti United and Tahiti, and German tactician Lars Hopp will have roles with both Vanuatu United and Vanuatu.
LAHORE: Final consultations on Pakistan’s squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the upcoming home T20I series against Australia are expected later this week.
Sources said white-ball head coach Mike Hesson is set to arrive in Lahore after Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka concludes.
Once the consultation process is completed, the squad will be announced with the approval of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
The PCB has already submitted a preliminary list of players to the ICC for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
However, it is understood that the PCB can make changes to the submitted list without ICC approval until January 31.
Members of the national T20I squad are returning home today after completing the series in Sri Lanka.
Head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha are expected to hold final discussions with the selectors before the squad is finalised.
Sources say the probable players include captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan and Abrar Ahmed.
Other players under consideration are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza and Khawaja Nafay, while Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Usman Tariq are likely to be named among the reserve players.
Meanwhile, the PCB has forwarded a proposed schedule for Australia’s T20 International tour of Pakistan to Cricket Australia. According to sources, two draft itineraries have been shared for a three-match T20I series.
The proposed plans suggest that the Australian team could arrive in Pakistan either on January 26 or 27, with departure scheduled for February 2 or 3.
The series is tentatively structured to include two back-to-back matches, followed by a one-day break before the third and final T20I.
It is understood that fixtures have been proposed for January 29 and 31, while the third and final match is expected to be played on February 1.
Pakistan, the 2009 champions, will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo.
They will face the USA on February 10, followed by clashes against arch-rivals India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18 in their final group-stage match.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka, starting with four Group A fixtures in Colombo, while Super Eight matches are scheduled to be held in Colombo and Kandy.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in an enthralling Clásico on Sunday to retain the Supercopa de España in Saudi Arabia.
The Brazilian struck the winner in the 73rd minute as Barça celebrated a third successive final victory over Madrid under Hansi Flick, following last season’s Supercopa and Copa del Rey successes.
Heading into the final 20 minutes, the tie had been delicately poised following a wild first half, which yielded three stoppage-time goals after Raphinha’s opener in the 36th minute.
First, Vinícius Júnior leveled, then Robert Lewandowski nudged Barça back ahead and there was still time for Gonzalo García to restore parity before halftime.
Madrid brought on Kylian Mbappé, back from a knee injury, in the second half, but it was Raphinha who proved the hero as Madrid’s Álvaro Carreras and Raúl Asencio spurned great late chances to take the game to a penalty shootout after Frenkie de Jong had been sent off. — Sam Marsden
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Barça win first trophy of the season, avenges October’s Clásico loss
Barça can now look back on the LaLiga defeat to Madrid in October as a blip. After winning all four Clásicos last year, there was the slight suggestion earlier this season that the tide could be turning after Xabi Alonso’s side earned a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu.
For that reason, Barça’s players were desperate to reassert their dominance over their biggest rivals and they will feel they did that in Jeddah on Sunday.
For large parts of the game, they completely controlled proceedings, accumulating almost 70% of the possession by full time. They deserved their lead when Raphinha netted, with Madrid’s two equalizers feeling like sucker punches.
That’s not to say Madrid didn’t also create chances on the counter. Both teams ended with eight shots on target, but the xG totals paint a better picture of who created the best openings, with Barça’s 2.6 considerably more than Madrid’s 1.38.
That is now four trophies Barça have won under Flick. The German coach spoke this past week about the Supercopa last season, providing the platform for them to go on and win LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. With a four-point lead at the top of the league, more silverware looks likely, although it’s the UEFA Champions League that this set of players is so desperate to get their hands on. — Marsden
Vini Jr steps up, ends 16-game goalless streak
With Mbappé fit enough for only a place on the substitute’s bench — eventually being introduced in the 76th minute — there was more pressure than ever on another of Madrid’s star names to deliver: Vinícius Júnior.
But Vinícius hadn’t scored in 16 games, an unprecedented dry spell. It’s not just that he hadn’t been scoring; his lack of impact has seen him whistled by the Bernabéu crowd. His performance in the semifinal in Jeddah was notable only for his touchline war of words with Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone.
But when Vinícius picked up the ball late in the first half, in the second minute of added time, none of that mattered. Wide on the left, one-on-one with Jules Koundé, this was suddenly Vinícius at his absolute, unplayable best: teasing Koundé with the ball before smoothly nutmegging the right back, dancing into the box and finishing low past Joan García. His celebration, racing across to kick the corner flag, was an explosive release of emotion.
Vinícius badly needed this goal, and so did Real Madrid. As the second half began, he looked like a different player than the one we’ve seen in recent weeks, freed of so much tension and baggage. Twice, he went close to scoring again, Koundé unable to cope. Only late in the second half, perhaps tiring, the Brazil international was less of a threat, and he was replaced by Arda Güler in the closing minutes.
Vinícius’ goal didn’t end up mattering. Madrid lost the game. But if there’s one positive they can take home from this final, and this tournament, it’s that one of the world’s best players — on his day — has refound the form that made him a Ballon d’Or contender. Now we wait to see if it was just a mirage or something more concrete. — Alex Kirkland
Madrid’s safety-first setup almost works
Madrid started this game with what looked like a deeply conservative, defensively minded system. Often, when Barcelona had the ball and were pushing forward, Madrid were dropping into a deep block with a back five, as Federico Valverde dropped into right back, and Aurélien Tchouaméni joined Dean Huijsen and Raúl Asencio in the middle, with Carreras on the left.
Logically, Barça dominated. In the first half, they had 76% possession to Madrid’s 24%. There were legitimate reasons for Madrid’s approach: They were without key defenders such as Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger, and with the team having struggled to really convince for months now, they could be forgiven for taking the risk-averse, cautious approach.
Madrid suffered some heavy defeats to Barça last season, including a 5-2 loss in the Supercopa final. They could not afford a similar scoreline this time, especially given the precarious situation coach Alonso finds himself in, where a humiliation in this final might have cost him his job.
And in that sense, the night was a success: Madrid avoided that kind of defeat. There were five goals, but divided between the teams in a way that allowed them to emerge with some credit. They competed, they fought, and they lost by a single goal.
But it wasn’t the “rock ‘n’ roll” style we were promised from an Alonso team, and it wasn’t an approach Madrid can expect to replicate frequently without facing criticism for a playing style unbefitting a big team.
On Sunday night, it worked to a point. Madrid were in with a chance right until the very end, when they spurned two great opportunities to equalize in added time. But it isn’t a template for the future. — Kirkland
Raphinha continues his scoring streak
Raphinha absolutely thrives against Madrid. With the benefit of hindsight, it is perhaps no coincidence that Barça lost their first Clásico under Flick in October when the former Leeds United forward was sidelined with an injury.
Madrid had no such luck here. Raphinha returned at the end of November and has been slowly regaining his top form since. He sent a warning to Madrid with two goals in the semifinal win against Athletic Club and should have opened the scoring in the first half in Jeddah, shooting wide after receiving a fine pass from Lamine Yamal.
Given his tireless running, it didn’t take long for his next chance to arrive, and he took it brilliantly to open the scoring in the latter stages of the first half. The winner was slightly more fortuitous, taking a deflection to deceive Thibaut Courtois, but if anyone had earned it, it was Raphinha.
His recent record against Madrid is phenomenal. That is now seven goals and three assists in his past six appearances against them. Three of those matches have been finals: two now in the Supercopa and one in the Copa del Rey.
Meanwhile, he has 11 goals in 19 games this season. If this latest trophy is to prove a springboard for more Barça success this season, you would imagine they will need to keep Raphinha fit. It’s not just goals and assists he contributes, but the energy and intensity he supplies in heaps in defense and attack. — Marsden
Barca’s defensive and clean sheet mirage ends
Barcelona’s run of five straight clean sheets in all competitions, their longest such streak since 2020, always felt a little deceptive and so it proved against Madrid.
Vinícius deserves credit for his brilliant equalizer, but that is unlikely to alter how the first-team analysts dissect the defending beforehand. Questions need to be asked about Kounde’s role in the goal, as the Brazilian player skipped past him. The Frenchman has been below par throughout this season, although he could also have benefited from some help from Pau Cubarsí this time. The young center back was a spectator as Vinícius came on to his right foot.
The defending for the second goal was arguably worse. Cubarsí again didn’t deal with a corner well, while Pedri, who had just supplied a fine assist for the Lewandowski goal, was also too loose on García. Barça complained about stoppage time overrunning, but they would have done well to take some advice from Roy Keane and, rather than worrying about that, do their jobs.
So, there is still work for Flick to do at the back. Whether the arrival of the attacking full back João Cancelo will help remains to be seen, but for the neutral, it means much more fun, such as in the recent run of Clásicos and last season’s Champions League semifinal loss to Internazionale, should always be just around the corner. — Marsden
What does it all mean for Xabi Alonso?
So, where does this leave Real Madrid’s coach?
Alonso has faced several match points now, and he’s saved them all. Before Christmas, when the pressure on him was near-unbearable following losses to Celta Vigo and Manchester City, Madrid won three games in a week to ensure Alonso stayed in the job over the Christmas break. On their return to action in 2026, Madrid beat Real Betis 5-1 before a narrow, 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid in Thursday’s Supercopa semifinal. And now this: a 3-2 final defeat to a good team.
In a way, it all leaves Alonso back where he started. The doubts about him among senior figures at the club remain, because nothing that’s happened since has been significant enough to shift them. But there also hasn’t been anything bad enough to force a change. Madrid have been winning, without playing especially well — or here, they lost, while doing OK.
It means that barring something unexpected — always a possibility at Real Madrid — the most likely scenario is that Alonso stays in his job, and stays under pressure. For that to change, Madrid need to not just win games, but do so playing with a persuasive shape and style that feels like the team’s future, rather than a reaction to circumstances.
“We have to move on as soon as possible,” Alonso said afterward. “It’s the least important of the competitions we play. We have to look forward.” — Kirkland
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ESPN star Dick Vitale wasn’t pleased with Ben Johnson on Sunday after the Chicago Bears coach’s explicit reaction to a playoff win over the Green Bay Packers went viral.
The cameras were on and the mic was hot when Johnson rallied his team in the locker room following a 31-27 comeback victory. He was heard saying, “F— the Packers! F— them! F—ing hate those guys.”
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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the sidelines against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field on Jan. 10, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Vitale, the legendary college basketball commentator, appeared to be appalled.
“Total CLASSLESS attitude in winning by BEN JOHNSON coach of the @ChicagoBears in the fab comeback to beat the @packers. Main theme should have been the gutty comeback not the childish F__ Packers comments,” Vitale wrote on X.
The rivalry between the Bears and Packers is certainly revved up. Johnson threw gasoline on the fire when he first joined the Bears. He was asked at the time why he chose Chicago. He said he “kinda enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”
Dick Vitale is on hand at Coleman Coliseum for the college basketball game between Alabama and Kentucky on Feb. 22, 2025. (Gary Cosby Jr./Tuscaloosa News)
49ERS’ GEORGE KITTLE CARTED OFF FIELD WITH ACHILLES INJURY DURING WILD CARD ROUND VS EAGLES
The message sparked a few icy handshakes during the season, including one after the playoff game. Chicago went 1-1 against Green Bay in the regular season and defeated them when it counted the most.
The first-year head coach praised his players for their gritty performance, coming off two losses and going into halftime down 21-3. Johnson said his team was “built for pressure.”
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stands on the sidelines against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field on Jan. 10, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
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The Bears will face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
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