OFC Men’s U-16 Championship Brings Excitement to Solomon Islands

BY JOY OFASIA

The Solomon Islands is buzzing with excitement as the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship kicks off this weekend at the Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, marking the beginning of a two-week football showcase that will determine the Oceania representative for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2026.

The tournament, which runs from August 17 to 30, will be hosted at two venues – Lawson Tama Stadium for Group A and the National Stadium for Group B.

Football fans can expect an exciting opening day at Lawson Tama Stadium this Saturday, starting with Cook Islands facing Papua New Guinea at 12:00 noon, followed by Fiji taking on Tahiti at 3:00 PM.

Eight Pacific nations are competing in this prestigious youth tournament: Fiji, PNG, New Caledonia, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Samoa, New Zealand, and host country Solomon Islands.

Two teams -Samoa and Papua New Guniea (PNG) have already arrived in the country, while the remaining six are expected to land today, filling the capital with young athletes eager to represent their nations.

The 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the 21st annual international men’s youth football tournament, will be held in Qatar in late 2026, featuring 48 teams and marking the first U17 tournament in an odd-numbered year.

The OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2025 kicks off in Solomon Islands on Sunday August 17.

Every match in Honiara is available to watch LIVE and FREE on FIFA+

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All kick-off times shown as local Solomon Islands time

Match Day 1

Sunday, August 17

Cook Islands v Papua New Guinea, 12:00pm | WATCH LIVE

Fiji v Tahiti, 3:00pm | WATCH LIVE

Match Day 2

Monday, August 18

New Zealand v Samoa, 12:00pm | WATCH LIVE

New Caledonia v Solomon Islands, 3:00pm | WATCH LIVE