The Cook Islands men's national football team is the men's football team that represents the Cook Islands in international competition since 1971. It is governed by the Cook Islands Football Association which is part of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and FIFA.
The nation has participated in seven FIFA World Cup qualification attempts since their first attempt back in 1998. They have qualified for the OFC Nations Cup twice in 1998 and 2000 OFC Nations Cup with both appearances seeing no wins from their four games that they have played.
They are the 2nd smallest nation in FIFA by population, with only Montserrat being less populated. They are also one of the most isolated members of FIFA, with Rarotonga being situated around 1,000 km from Niue, the nearest nation.
They have sat bottom of the FIFA World Ranking on multiple occasions, and have finished last in FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2014 FIFA World Cup and 1998 FIFA World Cup, making them to date one of the weakest national sides in the world.
They beat rivals Tahiti for the first time on 30 September 2026 in a 3–2 win at home.
History Record defeat, Pacific Games and inactivity (1971–1991) Despite being absent from the first three editions of the South Pacific Games, the geographical proximity of the Cook Islands with French Polynesia, host of the 1971 South Pacific Games, allowed the Cook Islands team to take part in the tournament. In the first round they were defeated 16–1 by Papua New Guinea and 30–0 by Tahiti, while in the match for fifth place, they fell to Fiji 15–1.
Foundation and the two OFC Nations Cup (1991–2001) The Cook Islands Football Association was founded in 1991, and was shortly followed by the founding of the Cook Islands Round Cup in 1992 and FIFA membership in 1994.
They next played a match in 1995 when proximity allowed them to participate again in the 1995 South Pacific Games. During the tournament they earned their first win, a 2–1 win over Wallis and Futuna, but lost their other four clashes resoundingly.
The Cook Islands qualified for their first OFC Nations Cup after finishing second in the 1998 Polynesia Cup, which they hosted. They faced Australia and Fiji in Group B, in what proved to be a tough draw. Australia crushed the Cook Islands 16–0 in their first match, scoring eight goals either side of the interval. In their next match against Fiji, however, the Cook Islands acquitted themselves much better, losing only 3–0, but with two defeats from two matches they failed to make the semi-finals.
In finishing 2nd at the 2000 Polynesia Cup, the Cook Islands also qualified for the OFC Nations Cup. They were drawn in Group A along with the Solomon Islands, and again, Australia. After their heavy defeat at the hands of Australia in the previous tournament, the Cook Islands hoped to avoid a repeat performance. However, they were powerless to prevent their opponents from running rampant, this time to the tune of 17–0. The Solomon Islands were up next, and in this game the Cook Islands had the consolation of scoring their first goal at the OFC Nations Cup – the only bright spot in an otherwise bleak 5–1 defeat. After two defeats, then, the Cooks Islands again went out at the group stage.
In 2001 during 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, the Cook Islands faced New Zealand, the first fixture between the two. The Cook Islands held strong, keeping the opposition level at 0-0 until half time, until substitute Noah Hickey scored a brace to put the efforts of the Cook Islands defence in vein. Goalkeeper Tony Jamieson won player of the match, making at minimum 7 and maximum of 26 saves during the match.
Decline and struggles (2002–2025) They next entered qualification for the 2004 tournament, but lost all four matches and failed to progress.
They returned to the South Pacific Games for the 2007 competition, where their only victory was a 4–1 win over Tuvalu. Four years later, at Nouméa 2011, they defeated Kiribati 3–0 but lost their other three matches. In 2012 OFC Nations Cup qualification, they drew with American Samoa and lost to Samoa and Tonga.
In the 2016 OFC Nations Cup qualifiers, they defeated Tonga 3–0 and Samoa 1–0, but lost their final match 2–0 to American Samoa. The Cook Islands finished third in the group, level on points with Samoa and American Samoa but behind both on goal difference.
In March 2022, the Cook Islands played their first match in seven years, losing 2–0 to the Solomon Islands in qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They subsequently withdrew from their remaining matches due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
On 28 August 2023, the Cook Islands returned to international football against Tahiti, suffering a 9–1 defeat at the Stade Pater Te Hono Nui in Pirae.
Later that year, they took part in the 2023 Pacific Games, recording their first victory since 2015 with a 2–1 win over Tonga. Tremaine Rimene-Albrett scored a late penalty on his international debut to secure the victory. The Cook Islands then lost 8–0 to New Caledonia before withdrawing from the competition due to flight issues.
In March 2024, the Cook Islands competed in the qualifying tournament for the 2024 OFC Men's Nations Cup. They lost their opening match 1–0 to Samoa, before defeating Tonga 1–0 through a goal from Taylor Saghabi. The Cook Islands finished second in the three-team qualifying group and failed to advance to the final tournament.
Later that year, the Cook Islands returned to FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. In the first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, they faced Tonga in a single-elimination match. Despite a goal from debutant Tacettin Kumsuz, the Cook Islands lost 3–1. They subsequently lost 2–1 to American Samoa in a friendly placement match, leaving them 11th among the 11 full OFC members.
Ruka era (2026–present) In 2026, the Cook Islands Football Association announced a two-match friendly series against Tahiti, which would mark the Cook Islands' first full internationals at home in almost 30 years.
In September 2026, a shock call-up was given to Nikao Sokattak goalkeeper Tearii Scheel aged only 15.
They defeated neighbours and rivals Tahiti for the first time in their history, delivering a shock 3–2 result.
Kit sponsorship Kit supplierPeriod Lotto 2001 Adidas 2002–2007 Lotto 2007–2012 Onu Football 2016–2022 KPI Sports2022–2024 Lotto Sport Italia 2024– Source:
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2026
Coaches
Alex Napa (1996–1998) Cormac Gallen-Willcocks (2001–2004) Tim Jerks (2004–2010) Shane Rufer (2011) Paul Farrell-Turepu (2011–2014) Drew Sherman (2015–2017) Kevin Fallon (2018–2020) Alan Taylor (2022) Jess Ibrom (2023-2024) Tuka Tisam (2024-2026) Rhys Ruka (2026-)
Players
Current squad The following players were called up for the Tahiti matches in September 2026.
Caps and goals are correct as of 30 September 2026, after the match against Tahiti.
Player records
Players in bold are still active with Cook Islands.
Most appearances
RankNameCapsGoalsCareer1Tony Jamieson2202000–20112John Pareanga2021998–20113Taylor Saghabi1972011–2024Grover Harmon1912009–present5Paavo Mustonen1802007–20246Joseph Chambers1401996–20047Tahiri Elikana1302011–2024Mark Jamieson1312000–2004Christian Tauira1301998–200410Stenter Mani1221996–2001Joseph Miitamariki1202007–2011James Nand1201996–2001Daniel Shepherd1212000–2007Nikorima Te Miha1221998–2011
Top goalscorers
RankNameGoalsCapsRatioCareer1Taylor Saghabi7192011–20242Joseph Ngauora382009–2011Campbell Best3112009–20154Tremaine Rimene-Albrett282023–present Teariki Mateariki262004–2007Stenter Mani2121996–2001Nikorima Te Miha2121998–2011John Pareanga2201998–2011Benjamin Mata222022–present
Competition record FIFA World Cup FIFA World CupQualificationYearHostRound1930 to 1994Not a FIFA memberNot a FIFA member1998Did not qualifyFirst round2002142002First round40042252006First round40041172010First round4103492014First round3012462018First round3201422022WithdrewWithdrew2026Did not qualifyFirst round1001132030To be determinedTo be determined2034Total–––––––2131171766
OFC Nations Cup Oceania Cup / OFC Nations Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPositionSquad 1973Did not enterDid not enter 1980 1996 1998Group stage6th2002019Squad4211811 20006th2002122Squad430185 2002WithdrewWithdrew 2004Did not qualify4004117 2008410349 2012301246 2016320142 2024210111TotalGroup stage2/114004141—2492132051
Pacific Games Pacific Games recordYearRoundPosition1963 to 1969did not enter 1971Group Stage6th30032611975 to 1991did not enter 1995Group stage7th4103237 2003did not enter 2007Group stage8th410349 20119th4103415 2015N/A – tournament was U23 2019did not enter 2023Group stage8th210129TotalGroup stage 5/1617401314131
Polynesia Cup Polynesia Cup recordYearRoundPosition1994did not enter 1998Runners-up2nd4211811 2000Runners-up2nd430185Total2/30 Titles85121616
Head-to-head record
Historical kits
Honours Regional Polynesia Cup Runners-up (2): 1998, 2000
See also Cook Islands national under-20 football team Cook Islands national under-17 football team Cook Islands women's national football team Cook Islands women's national under-17 football team
Notes
References
External links
Cook Islands Football Association Cook Islands at OFC Cook Islands at FIFA Pictorial History of Cook Island Football Kits