Papua New Guinea to host pinnacle of Melanesian Football

From L-R: Ministry of Justice, Sports & Community Services, Arthur Faerua; CEO PNG Sports Foundation, Micah James; MSG Chair & Minister Sports Job Sam Andy; and Acting Director General MSG Secretariat, Ilan Kiloe, following the signing of the Host Agreement. (MSG Secretariat)

The fourth edition of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Prime Minister’s Cup will be held in Port Moresby from 4 - 18 October, following the signing of a Host Agreement between the MSG Secretariat and the Government of Papua New Guinea, through the PNG Sports Foundation.

The signing was done in Port Vila, Vanuatu during the MSG Sports Stakeholder Consultation in Port Vila, Vanuatu on Wednesday.

The Agreement will now commit the Government of PNG’s budgetary support in preparation for the hosting of the 4th Edition of the MSG PM’s Cup.

Acting Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Ilan Kiloe, in his remarks stated that “sports are an important programme of the MSG Secretariat including arts and culture [which] acts as a glue that binds everyone together despite our diverse political, cultural and religious views.”

MSG Chair and Vanuatu Sports Minister Job Sam Andy, welcomed the delegation from the PNG Sports Foundation and commended the 2025 theme of the MSG PM’s Cup - “Supporting a healthy Melanesia through Sports”.

He says “football is connected to the livelihoods and future of the people of Melanesia, a sport that not only builds our nations’ pride and identity but has also put the region on the world map.

PNG were the inaugural winner of the MSG PM’s Cup in 2022 when hosted in Vanuatu.

New Caledonia hosted the 2nd edition in 2023, where Solomon Islands came out victorious while the 3rd edition held recently in December 2024, saw PNG winning the cup for the second time.

Fiji will host the tournament's 5th Edition in 2026.