South Melbourne FC can confirm that it has successfully met all licensing requirements and has been approved to compete in the OFC Pro League for the 2027 season.
All eight clubs from the inaugural 2026 competition have received approval for their 2027 Club Licence applications following a meeting of the OFC Executive Committee in Fiji this week.
For South Melbourne, this provides our players with a continued opportunity to compete in professional football, while proudly representing Australia across Oceania and the Pacific.
We look forward to once again taking South Melbourne and Australian football onto the international stage in 2027, while continuing to work closely with the OFC and exploring opportunities to contribute to the continued growth and development of the competition in the years ahead.
The club also looks forward to bringing a festival of football to Lakeside, with OFC Pro League matches set to be hosted at Lakeside Stadium early in the new year.
Co-President Bill Papastergiadis said the club was proud to continue representing Australian football in the competition.
“This is another important step for South Melbourne and an opportunity for our club, our players and our supporters to be part of professional football on an international stage. We look forward to working closely with the OFC and playing our part in the continued growth of the competition.”
Co-President Andrew Mesourouni said bringing the competition to Lakeside would be a highlight of the 2027 season.
“We are particularly excited to bring OFC Pro League football to Lakeside. We want to create a real festival of football and give our supporters and the wider Melbourne football community the opportunity to experience the competition here at our home.”
CEO Strati Xynas said preparations for the club’s second OFC Pro League campaign were already an important focus.
“The OFC Pro League provides another important platform for our players and our club to compete in a professional environment. There is plenty of work ahead as we prepare for 2027, both on and off the pitch, and we look forward to working with the OFC to deliver a successful season and a fantastic series of matches at Lakeside.”
For all media enquiries contact George Kouroumalis at media@smfc.com.au