In the event that they win their next match, a nation with a population of only 270,000 people has the potential to qualify for the World Cup in 2026; however, this will not be an easy task.
At the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico during the summer of 2019, it is highly likely that the usual major players, including Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, and Argentina, will compete.
On the other hand, they might be joined by a nation out of the southwestern Pacific Ocean that is not very well known.
It is approximately 1,210 kilometres east of Australia and has a population of approximately 270,000 people. This is a lower population than the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in the United Kingdom, but it is approximately 40,000 more than Reading, which is the most populous town in England.
In spite of the fact that the island, which is a French territory, has never qualified for a World Cup and was only admitted to FIFA in 2004, they have the potential to secure a spot in the finals if they successfully complete their upcoming match.
With a 3-0 victory over Tahiti in the OFC qualifying stages semi-final earlier today in Wellington, New Caledonia, which is currently ranked 152 by FIFA, moved one step closer to qualifying for the tournament.
When North Korea qualified for the World Cup finals in 2010, they were the team with the lowest ranking ever to do so. At the time, they were ranked 105.
On Monday, New Caledonia will compete against New Zealand, and if they are victorious, they will be able to compete alongside the three nations that are hosting the competition as well as Japan, which was the first nation to qualify.
On the other hand, this could turn out to be a difficult challenge for the All Whites, who won their most recent match by a score of 7-0 on Friday, thanks to Chris Wood’s hat trick, which helped them easily defeat Fiji.
Frederic Piquionne, who was born in Noumea, New Caledonia, and played for teams such as Portsmouth and West Ham United, may or may not be familiar to fans of the Premier League. Piquionne was also a member of the French and Martinique national teams at the international level.
Over the past few years, the nation has been experiencing instability, which has resulted in violent clashes that led to the deployment of the French army in May of 2024.
“The situation in our county is not easy,” said Jekob Jeno, who plays the midfield position.
“And with this victory, we want to say to New Caledonia that it is possible to give hope to our people, to our family, and to our children,” We feel a great deal of pride.
