Eight clubs. Seven countries. One pathway to the world stage.
A groundbreaking new competition is about to begin in Oceania, and its launch is reigniting a long-running debate in global football: could cross-border leagues be the future, particularly for smaller nations struggling to compete in domestic isolation?
As the OFC Professional League kicks off this weekend, its success could have implications far beyond the Pacific — even prompting renewed discussion about similar models in Europe.
A New Era for Football in Oceania
The OFC Professional League is the first fully professional competition in Oceania since Australia moved to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006. It features:
- Two clubs from New Zealand
- One club each from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu
The league’s significance goes beyond regional bragging rights. The winners will qualify for:
- Fifa’s annual Intercontinental Cup
- The expanded Club World Cup, facing champions from other confederations
For clubs in smaller footballing nations, this represents an unprecedented pathway to the global stage.
Matches, Venues and Ambition
The opening fixtures begin on 17 January at Eden Park in Auckland, with the 50,000-seat stadium hosting the first round. Further stages will be played across four additional venues, before a play-off final in May crowns the inaugural champions.
OFC Professional League head Stuart Larman believes the appetite for football across the region is being underestimated.
“We expect crowds of more than 10,000 in Fiji and the Solomon Islands,” Larman said.
To help clubs focus on performance and growth, the OFC is covering flights, accommodation and transportation, easing the financial burden on teams operating in developing markets.
Community, Competition and Player Development
The long-term goal is sustainability — not just spectacle.
Larman insists the league’s success will depend on clubs embedding themselves in their local communities.
“The strength of the clubs is everything,” he said.
“Strong community involvement leads to financial success, which allows investment in first teams and youth programmes.”
A New Scouting Frontier
The OFC Professional League could also become a scouting goldmine, opening professional pathways for players from countries that have traditionally lacked exposure.
Each team is guaranteed 17 highly competitive matches, a dramatic increase for players previously limited to short domestic calendars.
“People will be surprised at the quality,” Larman added.
“Regular, competitive football always improves players.”
For footballers across Oceania, the league represents opportunity — and visibility — never before available.
Could Cross-Border Leagues Work in Europe?
While the Oceania project is unique in scale and geography, similar ideas are gaining traction elsewhere — particularly in smaller European leagues.
One of the strongest advocates is Maksims Krivunecs, president of Latvia’s top division, the Virsliga, who is pushing for a Baltic League involving clubs from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Despite admitting he is “not the biggest fan” of cross-border leagues, Krivunecs believes necessity is driving innovation.
“The situation is quite worrying,” he said.
“We have zero domestic broadcasting deal. Very limited resources. A small sponsorship market.”
Latvian football also competes with ice hockey and basketball for attention, leaving clubs heavily dependent on investors — a fragile model in uncertain economic conditions.
The Baltic League Proposal: How Would It Work?
Latvia’s 10-team league currently runs from March to November, with clubs playing each other four times. Under the Baltic League proposal:
- Domestic fixtures would be reduced to home and away
- The top four teams from each country would enter a cross-border championship phase
- Points earned against domestic rivals would carry over
- Clubs would then face equivalent finishers from Estonia and Lithuania home and away
This structure allows each nation to retain its Uefa qualification places, a key concern if leagues were to merge fully.
An overall Baltic League champion would be crowned, earning extra prize money, while lower-ranked teams would still compete for survival and European play-off spots.
“Only two spots are neutral,” Krivunecs said.
“Every game matters, and most games are against similar-level opponents.”
Krivunecs estimates the league could generate around €5m per season in commercial revenue.
Innovation Beyond the Pitch
To grow interest domestically, the Virsliga has already embraced digital innovation:
- Fantasy football
- Advanced statistics and predictions
- Full licensing on Football Manager
- Streaming matches on YouTube
- Collaborations with Twitch and TikTok influencers
But Krivunecs believes a cross-border league is the missing piece.
“We created a roadmap — a common structure, common product, common distribution and marketing.”
The proposal has full backing from Latvian clubs and authorities, though discussions with Estonia and Lithuania are ongoing.
Precedents and Past Attempts in Europe
Cross-border football is not a new idea.
- Welsh clubs have long competed in English leagues
- Belgium and the Netherlands explored a ‘BeNeLiga’ in 2019
- An Atlantic League involving clubs from Scotland, Portugal and Scandinavia has been debated intermittently since 2000
More recently, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has floated ideas about deeper integration across leagues in North America.
However, most European proposals have stalled due to political resistance, fan concerns, and governance challenges.
Could Smaller Nations Lead the Way?
Larman believes cross-border competition makes most sense where domestic markets are too small to sustain strong professional leagues alone.
“I always felt Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would make sense,” he said.
“You get better crowds, stronger clubs, and more professional structures.”
Krivunecs agrees, seeing the Baltics as an ideal testing ground.
“If we show success here, it could trigger discussions elsewhere,” he said.
“Maybe even Finland in the future — the level is similar.”
A Global Experiment With Big Implications
From Fiji to Latvia, cross-border leagues are emerging not as novelty projects, but as strategic solutions to football’s widening economic gap.
If the OFC Professional League thrives, it may offer a blueprint for smaller nations worldwide — proving that collaboration, not isolation, could be the key to football’s next evolution.
The question now is not whether cross-border leagues can work — but where they will work next.
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