One of FIFA's six continental confederations, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is responsible for overseeing football in Oceania. The OFC is in charge of fostering the game's growth in the area, planning tournaments, and ensuring that football in Oceania is played with the utmost integrity, fairness, and sportsmanship. The OFC was established in 1966, and Auckland, New Zealand, serves as its administrative centre. There are 11 full-member associations in the confederation, including, among others, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea. In 1966, Australia became a member of the OFC, but in 2006, it switched to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Members
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has 11 full-member nations and two associate member nations (who are not FIFA members), which are:
American Samoa
Cook Islands
Fiji
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tahiti
Tonga
Vanuatu
Tuvalu (associate member)
Kiribati (associate member)
The OFC's major objective is to grow football in the area, especially in nations where it is not yet well established. The OFC has established a number of initiatives to this end, including the "Just Play" program, which encourages young children in the area to play football. The OFC also gives its member associations financial help to upgrade facilities, create coaching programs, and encourage grassroots football.
Competitions
During the year, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) hosts a number of football tournaments. The following is a list of some of the significant tournaments the OFC has hosted:
Competition | Description | Frequency | Qualification for |
OFC Nations Cup | The premier international tournament in Oceania | Every 4 years | FIFA Confederations Cup |
OFC Champions League | The top club competition in Oceania | Annually | FIFA Club World Cup |
OFC U-16/U-17 Championship | Biennial tournament for national teams in the U-17 category | Every two years | FIFA U-17 World Cup |
OFC U-19/U-20 Championship | Biennial tournament for national teams in the U-20 category | Every two years | FIFA U-20 World Cup |
OFC Futsal Championship | A biennial tournament for national futsal teams | Every two years | FIFA Futsal World Cup |
OFC Beach Soccer Nations Cup | Biennial tournament for national beach soccer teams | Every two years | FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup |
Oceania has had trouble competing at the top level on the international scene despite its attempts to promote and develop football in the area. Australia qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice as an OFC member before joining the AFC, while New Zealand is the only other OFC team to appear in the FIFA World Cup (twice).
