Women’s football in the Solomon Islands is set for a major boost in 2026, with the country confirmed to host three key Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) women’s tournaments.
The announcement follows the release of OFC’s official 2026 competition calendar late last week, outlining a packed year of regional and international football across Oceania.
Honiara will once again welcome the region’s top women’s club sides when it hosts the 2026 OFC Women’s Champions League from 27 June to 10 July.
The tournament returns to Solomon Islands after it was successfully staged in the capital in 2024.
Earlier in the year, local fans will get a taste of high-level international action when Solomon Islands co-hosts Round Two of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2027 Oceania Qualifiers alongside Fiji from 24 February to 7 March.
The qualifiers mark a historic milestone, with Oceania guaranteed a direct place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time, as well as a potential second spot through the inter-confederation play-offs.
The busy calendar continues later in the year, with Solomon Islands confirmed as host of the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship from 6 to 19 September, providing a platform for the next generation of female footballers from across the Pacific.
Meanwhile, OFC’s 2026 calendar will see competitions spread across the region, with Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Tonga, New Zealand and Tahiti also hosting major tournaments throughout the year.
Key OFC competitions scheduled for the 2026 calendar year include:
- OFC Men’s Champions League – Qualifying: 31 January – 6 February (Samoa)
- FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2027 Oceania Qualifiers – Round Two: 24 February – 7 March (Fiji & Solomon Islands)
- OFC U-16 Men’s Championship – Qualifying: 25 – 31 March (Tonga)
- FIFA Women’s World Cup™ 2027 Oceania Qualifiers – Round Three: 12 – 15 April (New Zealand)
- OFC U-16 Women’s Championship – Qualifying: 18 – 24 April (Papua New Guinea)
- OFC Women’s Champions League – Qualifying: 20 – 26 April (Cook Islands)
- OFC U-15 Girls’ Youth Development Tournament: 4 – 12 May (Fiji)
- OFC U-19 Men’s Championship – Qualifying: 6 – 12 June (Cook Islands)
- OFC Women’s Champions League: 27 June – 10 July (Solomon Islands)
- OFC U-16 Men’s Championship: 12 – 25 July (Papua New Guinea)
- OFC Men’s Champions League: 9 – 22 August (Fiji)
- OFC U-19 Men’s Championship: 1 – 14 September (Samoa)
- OFC U-16 Women’s Championship: 6 – 19 September (Solomon Islands)
- OFC U-15 Boys’ Youth Development Tournament: 1 – 9 October (New Zealand)
- OFC Beach Soccer Men’s Nations Cup: 22 – 31 October (Tahiti)
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
