The road to the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup/">World Cup 2026</a> has already seen its fair share of drama, but one story stands out among the rest. While giants like <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/brazil/">Brazil</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/">Argentina</a>,&nbsp;Germany, and England&nbsp;and superstars including <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/cristiano-ronaldo/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a>, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/kylian-mbappe/">Kylian Mbappe</a> are expected to feature in the tournament, a surprise contender has emerged—a little country from Oceania.



Their entire population of around 289,870 people is smaller than major global cities like New York (over 8 million), Tokyo (over 37 million), and London (around 9 million). Even cities like Los Angeles and Hong Kong, each with populations exceeding 7 million, are significantly larger–yet this little nation now stands on the brink of making soccer history.



With a victory in their next match, they will achieve an unprecedented feat—becoming the lowest-ranked team in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup-qualifying/">World Cup qualifying</a> history, surpassing&nbsp;North Korea’s 2010 squad, which held a FIFA ranking of 105 at the time. However, standing in their way is a formidable challenge—the reigning regional powerhouse&nbsp;New Zealand, fresh off a&nbsp;7-0 demolition of Fiji&nbsp;in the semi-finals.



This remarkable underdog story belongs to&nbsp;New Caledonia, a&nbsp;French territory located 751.8 miles (1,210 km) east of Australia&nbsp;in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The island nation was&nbsp;only admitted to FIFA in 2004&nbsp;and has never qualified for a World Cup. Yet, after a&nbsp;dominant 3-0 victory over Tahiti&nbsp;in the&nbsp;OFC World Cup qualifying semi-final, they are just one step away from securing their place on soccer’s grandest stage.



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The victory over Tahiti was inspired by&nbsp;two goals from Georges Gope-Fenepej, who produced a stunning performance in&nbsp;Wellington. His first goal, a delicate&nbsp;chip over the goalkeeper in the 51st minute, gave New Caledonia the lead. He then sealed the match with a&nbsp;spectacular long-range effort&nbsp;in the 76th minute, before&nbsp;Lues Waya added a third in stoppage time.



<h2>Final test: Facing New Zealand on March 24</h2>



New Caledonia’s&nbsp;soccer rise comes at a time of great political unrest&nbsp;in the territory.&nbsp;Violent clashes in May 2024&nbsp;led to the deployment of&nbsp;French military forces, creating instability in the region. &nbsp;With&nbsp;no domestic soccer competition currently running&nbsp;due to the turmoil, Les Cagous have had to rely on sheer determination and unity.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250321_WST_561252_new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-1200x675_e0c16de9.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="new caledonia world cup qualifiers" class="wp-image-561259" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-740x416.jpg 740w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-490x275.jpg 490w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers-250x140.jpg 250w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/03/21184304/new-caledonia-world-cup-qualifiers.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



Standing between them and history is&nbsp;New Zealand, the dominant force in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/oceania/">Oceania</a>. The&nbsp;All Whites&nbsp;have long been the region’s most successful team, famously qualifying for the&nbsp;1982 and 2010 World Cups. They showed their strength once again in the semifinals with a&nbsp;7-0 thrashing of Fiji, including a hat-trick from&nbsp;Chris Wood.



As the&nbsp;final looms on March 24 in Auckland, this South Pacific island side has the chance to achieve the impossible. Their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, hosted across&nbsp;the United States, Canada, and Mexico, would be the most unprecedented for a side of their size and ranking if they were to win.

290,000 people, big dreams: Small nation on the brink of making FIFA World Cup history and facing Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe in 2026

290,000 people, big dreams: Small nation on the brink of making FIFA World Cup history and facing Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe in 2026 - World Soccer Talk

Small nation on the brink of making FIFA World Cup history and facing Ronaldo, Messi, and Mbappe in 2026

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<figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-382491 size-full" src="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Best_International_Competition.png" alt="the best international competition" width="1200" height="725" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/05/Best_International_Competition.png 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/05/Best_International_Competition-600x363.png 600w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/05/Best_International_Competition-150x91.png 150w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/05/Best_International_Competition-768x464.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure>
Indisputably, the FIFA World Cup is the best international competition in soccer. Frankly, it is the best competition regardless of sport on the planet.
However, the beauty of soccer is that it does not just revolve around the World Cup. International teams go head-to-head with their neighbors from their continent every four years, more or less.
Each of the six FIFA confederations has its own continental tournament. For example, South American confederation CONMEBOL has the Copa America. Or, many casual fans can recognize the European Championship, or Euros, in UEFA.
There are also newer tournaments like the Nations League, which basically provides more passion for friendlies in between qualifying or more established tournaments.
These tournaments all follow a similar structure depending on the size of the competition. Every team in that confederation has an equal chance to win the tournament, at least on paper. Of course, fans of these competitions know that some teams are actual competitors to win, and some are just there for a good time.
<h3>What is the best international competition outside the World Cup?</h3>
We want to know which international competition&nbsp;you look forward to watching the most.
You could base your take on the talent at the competition. Certainly, UEFA houses the highest quantity of talented teams, and many of the world’s best players represent France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. Similarly, CONMEBOL sides Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are also World Cup winning nations.
Or, you could take the most excitement out of the passion in the competition. In CONCACAF, the Nations League Final and the Gold Cup Final between Mexico and the United States were both full of drama in 2021. These are energetic games often basked in controversy due to the rivalry.
Personally, my favorite international competition is the Copa America. Living in the U.S., one of my favorite parts about international tournaments is the fans. The passion of each nation in South America is unrivaled in my eyes. While I would have loved to see Argentine and Brazilian fans at the Copa America Final in 2021, it is also a treat to watch those two storied nations play with <a href="https://www.si.com/soccer/2021/07/07/copa-america-final-brazil-argentina-neymar-messi">Neymar and Messi</a> at the top of their game.
Let us know your opinions in the comment section below.

What is the best international competition outside the World Cup?

Outside of the FIFA World Cup, what is the best international soccer competition? There are plenty to choose from across the globe.

What is the best international competition outside the World Cup? - World Soccer Talk

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Small nation on the brink of making FIFA World Cup history and facing Ronaldo, Messi, and Mbappe in 2026

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What is the best international competition outside the World Cup?