# OFC Nations Cup
The OFC Nations Cup is the men's national-team football championship of the [Oceania Football Confederation](https://www.edgepedia.org/oceania-football-confederation) (OFC), first contested in 1973 when host nation New Zealand won the inaugural edition.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) Its history is marked by irregular scheduling, a long gap between 1980 and 1996, and periods in which the tournament doubled as a stage of [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) qualifying.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First edition | 1973, won by host New Zealand[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) |
| Most titles | New Zealand, six; Australia four (now an AFC member); Tahiti one (2012)[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) |
| Editions held | 1973, 1980, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2024[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) |
| Cancelled edition | 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) |
| Most recent edition | 2024, co-hosted by Vanuatu and Fiji, won by New Zealand[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) |
| New Zealand all-time record | 39 matches, 28 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses, 100 goals for, 38 against[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html) |
| American Samoa all-time record | 26 matches, 1 win, 1 draw, 24 losses, 16 for, 164 against (goal difference −148)[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html) |
## History and changing format
The competition began in 1973 as the Oceania Cup. A second edition took place in 1980, and the tournament was then discontinued.[4](https://rsssf.org/tableso/oceania-cup.html) It reappeared in 1996 as the "Oceania Nations Cup" and served as a qualifier for the [FIFA Confederations Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-confederations-cup).[4](https://rsssf.org/tableso/oceania-cup.html)
The result was an edition list without a consistent interval: 1973, 1980, then 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2024.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) The gaps include sixteen years (1980 to 1996) and an eight-year gap from 2016 to 2024, reflecting the tournament's shifting functions rather than a fixed calendar.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/)
The tournament's entanglement with World Cup qualifying is documented for 2012: that edition's group stage also doubled as the second round of OFC qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[2](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-mens-nations-cup-2012/) The 2012 edition was held at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, capital of the [Solomon Islands](https://www.edgepedia.org/solomon-islands), with eight teams in two groups of four.[2](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-mens-nations-cup-2012/) Why the merger with World Cup qualifying began, and why it later stopped, is not settled by the available records; the 2012 doubling is the documented case.
## Participating nations
Three member associations have won the tournament. New Zealand have six titles, Australia four, and Tahiti one, in 2012; Tahiti remain the only other OFC Member Association besides those two to win.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) Australia, now part of the Asian Football Confederation, no longer competes.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/)
Entry has widened over time. Samoa came through a qualifying tournament to secure their first appearance at the OFC Nations Cup in 2012.[2](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-mens-nations-cup-2012/) Several editions also featured non-FIFA participants, meaning teams outside FIFA membership competed alongside OFC members.[4](https://rsssf.org/tableso/oceania-cup.html)
The spread in competitive strength is wide. [American Samoa](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-samoa)'s all-time record of 1 win, 1 draw, and 24 losses in 26 matches, with 16 goals scored and 164 conceded, illustrates the margins the tournament has produced.[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html) [Tuvalu](https://www.edgepedia.org/tuvalu), a non-FIFA side, has played 4 matches with no win, 1 draw, 3 losses, and a 2–22 goal record.[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html)
## Finals results by edition
| Edition | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1973 | New Zealand |
| 1980 | Australia |
| 1996 | Australia |
| 1998 | New Zealand |
| 2000 | Australia |
| 2002 | New Zealand |
| 2004 | Australia |
| 2008 | New Zealand |
| 2012 | Tahiti |
| 2016 | New Zealand |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) |
| 2024 | New Zealand |
All editions and winners are as listed by OFC's official history.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/) The 2024 edition was co-hosted by Vanuatu and Fiji and won by New Zealand, the first full tournament since 2016 given the 2020 cancellation.[1](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/)
## By the numbers
New Zealand's all-time record stands at 28 wins from 39 matches with a 100–38 goal aggregate.[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html) Against that, American Samoa's goal difference of −148 across 26 matches illustrates the scale of the margins the tournament has produced: an average of more than six goals conceded per match.[3](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html)
## References
1. [History OFC Men's Nations Cup | Oceania Football Confederation](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/history-ofc-mens-nations-cup/)
2. [OFC Men's Nations Cup 2012 | Oceania Football Confederation](https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-mens-nations-cup-2012/)
3. [OFC Nations Cup - All-Time Tables and Final Placings (RSSSF)](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oceaniancup-alltime.html)
4. [Oceanian Nations Cup (RSSSF)](https://rsssf.org/tableso/oceania-cup.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › International competitions beyond FIFA and UEFA › Confederation national-team championships › OFC Nations Cup*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license