History for coochiee

OFC WC qualifying draw (happening at FIFA HQ in Zurich) to be streamed from 7pm tonight.

The main interest at this stage will be the announcement of the venues. Big bonus if is NZ for the March knockout games. Based off history the Solomons probably the toughest place to have those matches.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/fifa-headquarters-to-host-ofc-preliminary-draw-for-the-fifa-world-cup-2026/

Based on the men’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of July 2024, the four lowest-ranked teams – Samoa, Cook Islands, American Samoa and Tonga – will compete in round one’s knockout match format (7-10 September) in Samoa to decide which of the quartet joins the seven highest-ranked sides in the second round.

The draw will see those eight countries split across three pots. They will then be drawn into two groups of four, beginning with Pot 3 working and through to Pot 1.

Each country will play every opponent in the group once in matches staged in October and November 2024, with the top two teams from each group progressing to round three.

In March 2025, the four teams will meet in semi-final ties (Group A winners vs Group B runners-up, Group B winners vs Group A runners-up). The victors of those matches will then go head-to-head for the first-ever guaranteed ticket to a FIFA World Cup for an OFC nation.

Pot allocations for the second preliminary round draw

Pot 1
New Zealand
Solomon Islands

Pot 2
Fiji
Tahiti
New Caledonia
Vanuatu

Pot 3
Papua New Guinea
Winner round one