The finest footballers from the French territory of New Caledonia take on Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz on Thursday in a match that could lead to a place for the first time at the football World Cup.
The sides meet at the Guadalajara Stadium for the right to play Democratic Republic of Congo who emerged from the African confederation play-offs.
New Caledonia, listed at 150 in the Fifa world rankings, reached the inter-continental play-offs following a 3-0 loss to New Zealand in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) play-off final last March.
Before that setback, New Caledonia topped their second-round group in the qualifiers for the competition.
Johann Sidaner's men went unbeaten against Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
They beat Tahiti 3-0 in the play-off semi finals before New Zealand claimed the automatic berth at the World Cup from the OFC.
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Sidaner has named a squad for the clashes in Mexico with players from the New Caledonian championship and the lower leagues in France.
He has also included the Tahiti United duo Joseph Athale and Germaine Haewegene as well as Angelo Fulgini.
The 29-year-old, who moved from the Ligue 1 outfit Lens to Al-Taawoun in Saudi Arabia last summer, represented France at youth levels up to under-21 before switching his allegiance to New Caledonia in December 2025.
“We have nothing to lose," Fulgini told the Fifa website. "If we go through, it will be an unbelievable achievement.
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“If we fall short, nobody will bat an eyelid. We go to the game under no pressure and with no fear, with the determination and belief that we can do it.”
Jamaica are seeking their second appearance at the quadrennial event.
The side missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament in the United Sates, Mexico and Canada after they were held to a goalless draw by Curacao last November.
That failure led to the departure of head coach Steve McClaren. The 64-year-old Englishman was replaced by Rudolph Speid who steered Cavalier FC to three Jamaica Premier League titles and the 2024 Caribbean Cup during his nine years at the club.
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Speid, 64, has dropped several players from McLaren's squads for the game.
“When you’re looking at certain players, we know they have a history of breaking curfew, “ Speed told the Jamaica Observer.
“They have a history of not sleeping in the hotel that was provided for them, they have a history of behavioural issues. So, you made the criteria but you’re struggling now with the conditions, so somebody else that is not struggling with the conditions, they get the edge — and simply that’s what happened.”
The winner of the game will take on DRC at the Guadalajara Stadium on 31 March.
And the victor from that clash will feature in Group K at the World Cup with Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan.
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In the other intercontinental play-off, Bolivia face would-be World Cup debutants Suriname in Monterrey on Thursday.
"I think we have a lot of quality," Suriname head coach Henk ten Cate told the Fifa website.
"But what stands out the most is the team spirit. Especially for a game like this, the team spirit is more important than quality."
The winner will face Iraq in the final for a berth in Group I with 2022 runners-up France, Senegal and Norway.
