The Samoa national football team formed in 1968. The team joined the Oceania Football Confederation in 1984 and FIFA in 1986. Formerly known as Western Samoa, Samoa is one of the weakest teams in Oceania.
The Independent State of Samoa is part of the Samoan Islands in the Pacific Islands. The country is mainly split between two islands, Upolu and Savai’i. With a population a little under 200,000, Samoa is a decent size for a lowly ranked nation. The country has a great tradition of sporting play, although football is less popular than rugby, cricket and Aussie rules football.
Samoa first entered a world cup in 1998, joining the Cook Islands and Tonga in the first round group stage. Despite a winning start, a 1-0 loss to Tonga saw the team finish second and exit at the first hurdle. The team has since entered every world cup competition but is yet to progress from the qualifying rounds.