FIFA-Affiliated Confederation: The Oceania Football Confederation

The Oceania Football Confederation, OFC, is one of the six continental confederations of the Federation Internationale de Football Association, FIFA.

It was formed in 1966, as a result of Australia and New Zealand’s failed attempts to join the Asian Football Confederation, AFC.

Oceania Football Confederation logo

The founding OFC members were the Australian Soccer Federation (from 2005: Football Australia), New Zealand Soccer (subsequently New Zealand Football), the Fiji Football Association, and the Papua New Guinea Football Association.

Australia resigned its membership of OFC in 1972 to, again, pursue its membership with the Asian Football Confederation, AFC, but returned, six years later, 1978, to rejoin the OFC.

Australia left the Oceania Football Federation, OFC, the second time in 2006 and returned to the Asian Football Confederation.

The Oceanic Football Confederation, OFC, at the present moment, has 13 members, 11 of which are full members and two which are associate members not affiliated with FIFA.

ASA American Samoa

COK Cook Islands

FIJ Fiji

KIR Kiribati

NCL New Caledonia

NZL New Zealand

PNG Papua New Guinea

SAM Samoa

SOL Solomon Islands

TAH Tahiti

TGA Tonga

TUV Tuvalu

VAN Vanuatu

Its former members were Australia (1966–1972, 1978–2006), Chinese Taipei (1976–1978, 1982–1989), Niue (as associate member 2006–2021), and Northern Mariana Islands (as associate member 1998–2009).

Chinese Taipei was an OFC member from 1975 to 1989. In 1996, FIFA confirmed OFC as a full confederation and granted it a seat on the FIFA executive.

Besides that, there are sovereign state, dependencies or territories in Oceania which are not affiliated with the OFC but are members of other confederations:

Australia (AFC)

Easter Island (CONIFA)

Guam (AFC)

Hawaiʻi (CONIFA)

Northern Mariana Islands (AFC)

West Papua (CONIFA)

COMPETITIONS

It promotes the game in Oceania and allows the member nations to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

OFC Nations Cup

OFC U-23 Championship

OFC U-20 Championship

OFC U-17 Championship