Football

Fiji to host FIFA World Cup qualifiers

August 1, 2024 11:00 am

Fiji is set to host two group stage matches for the FIFA World Cup 26™ Qualifiers for the Oceania Zone, alongside Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

After Round One of qualifying in September in Samoa, featuring the hosts along with Cook Islands, American Samoa, and Tonga, match day three in October will take place at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, Fiji, and VFF Freshwater Stadium in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

Group A fixtures will be held in Suva on October 10th, with Solomon Islands playing Fiji and New Caledonia facing Papua New Guinea.

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Group B fixtures are set for Port Vila, with New Zealand playing Tahiti on October 11th, and Vanuatu meeting the winner of Round One on October 12th.

Match days four and five will occur during the November FIFA international window, with games at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton and Auckland in New Zealand, and at PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

In Port Moresby, Group A matches will see the Solomon Islands play New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea meet Fiji on November 14th.

The final round of group fixtures will have Fiji against New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea versus Solomon Islands on November 17th.

For Group B, the winner of Round One will face Tahiti, and New Zealand will play Vanuatu at Waikato Stadium on November 15th.

The final group matches are scheduled for November 18th, with Tahiti facing Vanuatu and New Zealand playing the winner of Round One in Auckland.

Match days six and seven will be held in New Zealand in March next year.

The Group A winner will meet the Group B runner-up, and the Group B winner will face the Group A runner-up, followed by the final to determine which country qualifies for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and which country goes to the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff Tournament.