The Tahiti national football team (; ) represents French Polynesia in men's international football, and is controlled by the Tahitian Football Federation. The team consists of a selection of players from French Polynesia, including Tahiti; they have competed in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) since 1990.
Tahiti is traditionally one of the stronger footballing nations of the Pacific Islands, with the second-best record at the Pacific Games, winning five gold medals. They were runners-up in the first three editions of the OFC Nations Cup (1973, 1980, 1996). Tahiti eventually won the competition in 2012, becoming the first team other than Australia and New Zealand to win the title. The feat qualified Tahiti to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup held in Brazil. It qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, becoming the first archipelago from Oceania to compete in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, a feat it repeated in 2019 in Poland.
History Tahiti played its first full match on 21 September 1952, at home against New Zealand, drawing 2–2. Seven days later, the two teams played again and New Zealand won 5–3. On 30 September, they played each other for a third time, and Tahiti gained its first victory, by 2–0.
In September 1953, Tahiti played three matches in New Caledonia against its national side, losing the first 5–0 and the later two 4–1. They then travelled to the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and beat its national side 4–2 twice. In 1969, touring World Champions England beat Tahiti 4–1 in an exhibition match. In 1989, under the leadership of Napoleon Spitz, the official federation was created.
Tahiti entered its first World Cup qualification with the aim of reaching the 1994 World Cup, held in the United States. They were placed in Group A alongside Australia and the Solomon Islands, and played their first match away to the Solomon Islands in Honiara on 11 July 1992. Eric Etaeta equalised for Tahiti to make it 1–1 in the 76th minute. On 11 September, Tahiti hosted Australia in Papeete and lost 3–0. The next fixture was again against Australia, and resulted in a 2–0 away defeat in Brisbane on 20 September. On 9 October, in Papeete, Tahiti defeated the Solomon Islands 4–2. Tahiti's first goal was scored as an 8th-minute penalty from Reynald Temarii, a politician and current president of the OFC. However, Tahiti finished second to Australia in the group and did not advance.
2012 OFC Nations Cup In 2012, the new edition of the tournament occurred in the Solomon Islands with the host country, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tahiti, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa (winner of the qualifying tournament) playing the competition. Tahiti defeated New Caledonia in the final in Lawson Tama Stadium 1–0 with a goal by Steevy Chong Hue and became the first team other than Australia (no longer part of OFC) and New Zealand to be crowned Oceania champions.
2013 Confederations Cup
By winning the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, Tahiti qualified for the 2013 Confederations Cup, held in Brazil, for the first time. On 17 June 2013, Tahiti lost 1–6 to Nigeria in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Belo Horizonte, with Jonathan Tehau scoring the goal for Tahiti in the second half with a header from a corner; Tahiti fans still rejoiced in the prospect of scoring a goal in an international tournament. On 20 June, Tahiti lost 10–0 against Spain to equal their largest ever lost against New Zealand nine years earlier. On 23 June 2013, Tahiti was beaten 8–0 by Uruguay.
In all, Tahiti conceded 24 goals and scored 1 to end with a goal differential of −23, the worst of any national team in any major competition. However, even with the poor record and heavy defeats, Tahiti's underdog qualities gathered significant respect from the people of Brazil, who always cheered for them in every match. Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque, and strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa – who scored four and three goals respectively against Tahiti – complimented the team's fair play.
Rivalries A historical sporting rivalry exists between the two French Pacific overseas collectivities, Tahiti and New Caledonia. They compete regularly in regional and, since 2006, international competitions. In 2012, Tahiti led the number of titles won (1 OFC Nations Cup, 5 gold medals at the South Pacific Games, 2 at the South Pacific mini-games, against 6 gold at the South Pacific Games for New Caledonia). As of their last match in 2018, out of the 62 matches played since 1953, the New Caledonia has 28 wins against 25 for Tahiti and 9 draws.
Team image
Kit sponsorship Kit supplier Period Adidas 2000–2003 Lotto 2004–2012 Nike 2013–2021 Macron 2022–2023 Puma 2024–present
Results and fixtures
2026
Coaching history
Freddy Vernaudon (1973) Richard Van Sam (1980) François Ferez (1992) Bernard Vahirua (1992) Umberto Mottini (1995–1996) Gerard Kautai (1996) Richard Van Sam (1997) Alain Rousseau (1998) Leon Gardikiotis (1999–2000) Patrick Jacquemet (2001–2003) Gerard Kautai (2004–2007) Eddy Etaeta (2010–2015) Ludovic Graugnard (2015–2018) Naea Bennett (2018–2019) Samuel Garcia (2019–2025) Joël Fréchet (2026–present)
Players Current squad The following players were called up for the Cook Islands matches in September 2026.
Caps and goals correct as of 21 March 2025, after the match against New Caledonia.
Player records
Players in bold are still active with Tahiti.
Most appearances
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer1Teaonui Tehau51312011–present2Angelo Tchen3412001–20183Heimano Bourebare3012010–2023Alvin Tehau3092010–20245Steevy Chong Hue2882010–2016Xavier Samin2802001–20137Jonathan Tehau2652011–20178Vincent Simon2512004–20169Stanley Atani2462010–2019Tetahio Auraa2411996–2008
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerGoalsCapsRatioCareer1Teaonui Tehau31512011–present2Felix Tagawa14232000–20043Naea Bennett12161996–20104Alvin Tehau9302010–20245Steevy Chong Hue8282010–20166Jean-Loup Rousseau7151992–2000Lorenzo Tehau7202010–20178Tauhiti Keck6192011–2025Stanley Atani6242010–201910Roonui Tinirauarii5102022–2024Tamatoa Tetauira5112016–2019Hiro Poroiae5122007–2013Jonathan Tehau5262011–2017
Competitive record FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearHostResultPosition1930 to 1954No national representativeNo national representative1958 to 1990Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member1994Did not qualify4112581998401321220024301146200693337252010411226201411605221720187322147202220021420264202562030To be determinedTo be determined2034Total49198227291
OFC Nations Cup
Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup recordQualification recordYearResultPositionSquad 1973Runners-up2nd522174SquadNo qualifiers were held 1980Runners-up2nd4301239Squad 1996Runners-up2nd4202312Squad3300101 1998Fourth place4th4103810Squad4400271 2000Group stage5th200225Squad4400302 2002Third place3rd530289SquadDirectly qualified 2004Group stage5th5113224Squad422051 2008Did not qualify411226 2012Champions1st5500205SquadDirectly qualified 2016Group stage5th312073Squad 2024Third place3rd521258SquadTotal1 Title10/1142206168589—1914327411
FIFA Confederations Cup
FIFA Confederations Cup recordYearResultPositionSquad1992 to 1995No OFC representative invited1997 to 2009Did not qualify 2013Group stage8th3003124Squad 2017Did not qualifyTotalGroup stage1/103003124—
Polynesia Cup Polynesia Cup recordYearResultPosition* 1994Champions1st3300101 1998Champions1st4400271 2000Champions1st4400302Total3 Titles3/3111100674
Pacific Games Pacific Games recordYearResultPosition* 1963Bronze medal3rd2101192 1966Gold medal1st4400143 1969Silver medal2nd5311197 1971Bronze medal3rd4211415 1975Gold medal1st5401126 1979Gold medal1st5500332 1983Gold medal1st5500252 1987Silver medal2nd531194 1991Group stage6th3102155 1995Gold medal1st6600352 2003Fourth place4th6303257 2007Group stage6th411226 2011Bronze medal3rd6312289 2015Silver medal2nd5311344 2019Group stage5th5302196 2023Group stage5th431091Total5 Gold medals16/16745071733971
Head-to-head record
Honours Continental OFC Nations Cup Champions (1): 2012 Runners-up (3): 1973, 1980, 1996 Third place (2): 2002, 2024
Regional Pacific Games Gold medals (5): 1966, 1975, 1979, 1983, 1995 Silver medals (2): 1969, 1987 Bronze medals (3): 1963, 1971, 2011 Polynesia Cup Champions (3): 1994, 1998, 2000
Summary Competition TotalOFC Nations Cup1326Total1326
Notes
References
External links
Official website Tahiti at OFC Tahiti at FIFA