2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)#Third round

The qualification structure was as follows:{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=7/news=preliminary-draw-procedures-outlined-2661542.html | title=Preliminary Draw procedures outlined | publisher=fifa.com | date=9 July 2015 | accessdate=9 July 2015 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712005248/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y%3D2015/m%3D7/news%3Dpreliminary-draw-procedures-outlined-2661542.html | archivedate=12 July 2015 | df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/preliminarydraw/02/66/71/36/oceania_drawprocedures_neutral.pdf|title=Draw Procedures – Oceanian Zone|publisher=FIFA.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724211740/http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/preliminarydraw/02/66/71/36/oceania_drawprocedures_neutral.pdf|archivedate=24 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}

• First round: Four teams (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tonga) played a round-robin tournament at a single country. The winner advanced to the second round.
• Second round (2016 OFC Nations Cup): Eight teams (Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Vanuatu, and the first round winner) played the tournament at a single country. For the group stage, they were divided into two groups of four teams. The top three teams of each group advanced to the third round.
• Third round: Six teams which had advanced from the second round were divided into two groups of three teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The two group winners met in a two-legged match with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs.

The OFC had considered different proposals of the qualifying tournament.{{cite web|title=OFC Executive Committee decisions |url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/701d2613-f23f-4125-ae92-0700e8ec8787/language/en-US/Default.aspx |publisher=OFC |accessdate=20 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913211633/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/701d2613-f23f-4125-ae92-0700e8ec8787/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archivedate=13 September 2016 }} A previous proposal adopted by the OFC in October 2014 had the eight teams divided into two groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches in the second round, followed by the top two teams of each group advancing to the third round to play in a single group of home-and-away round-robin matches to decide the winner of the 2016 OFC Nations Cup which would both qualify to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/11e59aa8-7a51-498a-963d-d463549766c1/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=OFC Executive Committee outcomes |publisher=Oceania Football Confederation |date=20 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705001002/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/11e59aa8-7a51-498a-963d-d463549766c1/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archivedate=5 July 2015 |df=dmy }} However, it was later reported in April 2015 that the OFC had reversed its decision, and the 2016 OFC Nations Cup will be played as a one-off tournament similar to the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11431326|title=Football: Heat goes on NZ after switch|newspaper=New Zealand Herald|date=12 April 2015}}

All 11 FIFA-affiliated national teams from the OFC entered qualification.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/russia2018/news/newsid=2507253/index.html|title=Road to Russia with new milestone|publisher=FIFA.com|date=15 January 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122200953/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/russia2018/news/newsid%3D2507253/index.html|archivedate=22 January 2015|df=dmy-all}} The four lowest ranked teams (based on FIFA World Ranking and sporting reasons{{explain|date=March 2022}}) entered the first round, while the other seven teams entered the second round.

The schedule of the competition was as follows.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/AboutOFC/tabid/182/PageContentType/CALENDAR/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=Calendar of Events 2015 |publisher=Oceania Football Confederation |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019212135/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/AboutOFC/tabid/182/PageContentType/CALENDAR/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archivedate=19 October 2013 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/Competitions/ScheduleResults/tabid/1015/Competition/19b7c9d5-122e-4b23-8e52-e11e82858d89/CompTitle/2018%20WCQ%20Stage%203/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=2018 WCQ Stage 3 Schedule & Results |publisher=Oceania Football Confederation |accessdate=8 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160904150213/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/Competitions/ScheduleResults/tabid/1015/Competition/19b7c9d5-122e-4b23-8e52-e11e82858d89/CompTitle/2018%20WCQ%20Stage%203/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archivedate=4 September 2016 }}

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The inter-confederation play-offs were scheduled to be played between 6–14 November 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/calendar/events.html |title=FIFA Calendar |publisher=FIFA.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425064942/http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/calendar/events.html |archivedate=25 April 2015 |df=dmy-all }}

{{Main|2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC first round}}

The match schedule was revealed on 30 July 2015, following a draw held at OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/dff0afe5-3b72-4a80-ac37-12586e91537b/language/en-US/Default.aspx|publisher=OFC|title=Stage 1 draw revealed|date=30 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924123549/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/dff0afe5-3b72-4a80-ac37-12586e91537b/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archivedate=24 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}

{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers}}

{{:2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC first round|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules |show_matches=yes}}

{{Main|2016 OFC Nations Cup}}

The draw for the second round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/42f19533-f867-4728-b925-409738dd7436/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=World Cup path laid out for Oceania |publisher=OFC |date=26 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304203247/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/42f19533-f867-4728-b925-409738dd7436/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archivedate=4 March 2016 }}

{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers}}

{{Main|2016 OFC Nations Cup Group A}}

{{:2016 OFC Nations Cup Group A|section=Standings|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules |show_matches=yes}}

{{Main|2016 OFC Nations Cup Group B}}

{{:2016 OFC Nations Cup Group B|section=Standings|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules |show_matches=yes}}

{{Main|2016 OFC Nations Cup knockout stage}}

While the results of the OFC Nations Cup knockout stage matches have no effect on the teams qualified for the third round of World Cup qualifying, for statistical purposes these matches are considered part of World Cup qualifying, with FIFA counting goalscorers in the qualifying statistics, and cards given may contribute to suspensions in the third round of World Cup qualifying (similar to the setup for 2014 World Cup qualifying).

{{#lst:2016 OFC Nations Cup knockout stage|Bracket}}

{{main|2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC third round}}

The draw for the third round was held on 8 July 2016, 11:00 NZST (UTC+12), at the OFC headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/bd8b142a-b83f-438d-85ee-4330f577a5b6/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=Stage 3 draw complete|publisher=Oceania Football Confederation|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819182112/http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/bd8b142a-b83f-438d-85ee-4330f577a5b6/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archivedate=19 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}

{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers}}

{{:2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC third round|transcludesection=Group A|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules |show_matches=yes}}

{{:2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC third round|transcludesection=Group B|only_pld_pts=no_hide_class_rules |show_matches=yes}}

The draw for the final (which decided the order of legs) was held on 15 June 2017, 16:00 NZST (UTC+12), at the OFC headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=6/news=new-zealand-at-home-first-in-ofc-play-off-2895121.html|title=New Zealand at home first in OFC play-off|publisher=FIFA|accessdate=15 June 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714190322/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y%3D2017/m%3D6/news%3Dnew-zealand-at-home-first-in-ofc-play-off-2895121.html|archivedate=14 July 2017|df=dmy-all}}

The winner of the final advanced to inter-confederation play-offs. Dates were set for the two-legged final as being between 28 August and 5 September 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/next-steps-to-russia-laid-out/|title=Next steps to Russia laid out|publisher=Football NZ|date=8 July 2016|accessdate=11 July 2016|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711111921/http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/next-steps-to-russia-laid-out/|archivedate=11 July 2016|df=dmy-all}}

{{:2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC third round|transcludesection=Final}}

New Zealand defeated Solomon Islands 8-3 on aggregate and advanced to the OFC-CONMEBOL play-off

{{main article|2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC–CONMEBOL play-off)}}

The draw for the inter-confederation play-offs was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg. The first-placed team from OFC was drawn against the fifth-placed team from CONMEBOL, with the OFC team hosting the first leg.{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=7/news=the-preliminary-draw-results-in-full-2667929.html|title=The Preliminary Draw results in full|publisher=FIFA.com|date=25 July 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906071029/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y%3D2015/m%3D7/news%3Dthe-preliminary-draw-results-in-full-2667929.html|archivedate=6 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}

{{#lst:2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|playoff2}}

{{Goalscorers

|goals=106 |matches=35

|8 goals=

• {{fbicon|NZL}} Chris Wood

|7 goals=

• {{fbicon|PNG}} Raymond Gunemba

|5 goals=

• {{fbicon|TAH}} Teaonui Tehau

|4 goals=

• {{fbicon|COK}} Taylor Saghabi
• {{fbicon|FIJ}} Roy Krishna
• {{fbicon|PNG}} Nigel Dabinyaba
• {{fbicon|PNG}} Michael Foster

|3 goals=

• {{fbicon|NZL}} Marco Rojas
• {{fbicon|NZL}} Ryan Thomas
• {{fbicon|SOL}} Henry Fa'arodo

}}

Below are full goalscorer lists for each round:

{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}

• First round
• Second round
• Third round

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html|Official FIFA World Cup website}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070923144919/http://fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/oceania/index.html Qualifiers – Oceania], FIFA.com
• [https://www.oceaniafootball.com/category/2018-fifa-world-cup-russia-ofc-qualifiers/ 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA OFC QUALIFIERS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202065151/https://www.oceaniafootball.com/category/2018-fifa-world-cup-russia-ofc-qualifiers/ |date=2 February 2017 }}, oceaniafootball.com

{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers}}

OFC

Category:FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

FIFA World Cup qualification

FIFA World Cup qualification

FIFA World Cup qualification