Courtesy of Maikeli Lomu
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup quickly approaching, many are making preparations for the world’s largest soccer tournament. For one Spanish Fork, Utah native, those preparations mean something a little different. Maikeli Lomu, a former Spanish Fork High School soccer player has the opportunity of a lifetime that he has decided to take in full stride; the opportunity to suit up for the Tongan National Soccer team.
The journey, should Lomu make the roster later this month, would take him through the World Cup qualifiers with the Tongan National side. Something he and his wife Cassidy knew he would have to do when the chance presented itself. “The Tonga Football Association posted on Facebook that they were looking for international players.” Lomu said. “So, Cassidy, my wife, was like ‘you’ve got to do it! Like, you have to!’ And so, I sent in my resume and then they contacted me and invited me to come play. And it was really an easy decision.”
Full Interview With Maikeli Lomu on ESPN 960
The road to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup won’t be easy for Tonga, as they will have to face some of the top teams in the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). New Zealand currently stands at the top of the Confederation, followed by the Solomon Islands and the New Caledonia national teams. One thing that Lomu pointed out is that this will be the first year of the newly expanded field that takes a jump from 32 teams to a full 64 team field. That is important for Tonga’s qualification hopes as it will allow smaller countries more of an opportunity to get in.
“Before the qualifiers in previous World Cups there was never an automatic bid for Oceania to get into the World Cup. This year, there will be an automatic bid for Oceania.” Lomu said. “So, the winner of the tournament in the third round (of qualifying) gets the automatic bid and the second-place team gets to go into a play-in type of tournament with other countries just before the World Cup happens. So basically, we will just have to beat everybody.”
Tonga is currently rated as the 200th team in the World. Here is where they rank out among other OFC sides. Courtesy of Inside.Fifa.Com
Lomu is also focused on helping to grow the game of soccer in Tonga. While he is there to find a starting role on the squad, he is also there to build up the football club and the islands passion for the game. Before leaving the United States for Tonga, Lomu gathered cleats and other gear to take with him and disperse to his teammates and kids on the island. He is also building up the club through his social media presence, documenting his journey and the beautiful scenery along the way. If you would like to reach out to offer support for the club or the people of Tonga you can follow Maikeli on Instagram @Maikeli_Lomu.
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