The OFC U-19 Men's Championship 2026 kicks off on Tuesday, September 1 in Samoa, with a number of OFC Pro League stars set to make an impact in Apia.
Held every two years, the tournament brings together some of the brightest young talents in Oceania, with this year's winners and runners-up securing their place at the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup™ to be hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
New Zealand are the defending champions - having beaten New Caledonia in the final in 2024, also held in Samoa - with this year's iteration carrying a little extra interest, due to the selection of 13 OFC Pro League players amongst the eight competing nations.
New Zealand
The Kiwis boast the most, with five players in their squad having played in this year's OFC Pro League.
Auckland FC quintet; Luka Vicelich, Bailey Ferguson, Van Fitzharris, Eli Jones and Dejaun Naidoo join an already strong squad, as Jose Figueira's team look to secure a fifth consecutive title.
Fiji
Fiji are next in line, with four of their squad having experienced professional action earlier this year.
Delon Shankar, Maikah Dau, Ibraheem Afazal and Ryan Naresh were all part of the Bula FC side that made it to the semi-final playoff in May, losing out narrowly to Vanuatu United FC.
Tahiti
Winners in 2008 (then the OFC U-20 Championship), Tahiti have three players representing Tahiti United in Samoa.
Kalï Lenoir, Bradley Ruiz and Niuhau Firiapu have all been selected, with Coach Raimana Bu-Luc looking to build upon the nation's strong showing at this level, which includes a runners-up spot in 2018 and a fourth-place finish in 2022.
Solomon Islands
Solomon Kings were a popular side during the inaugural OFC Pro League, with a number of players catching the eye.
19 year-old Jayroll Patty has been selected for Solomon Islands, with the midfielder a key member of Neé Franco's squad, as they aim to build upon 2024's third-place finish.
You can keep up with all the action at the OFC U-19 Men's Championship at the OFC website.
Every match will be streamed LIVE and FREE on the OFC YouTube channel.