Samoa began their OFC World Cup qualification campaign with a 2-0 home victory over American Samoa on September 6, 2024. This result in a Polynesian derby provides Samoa with a crucial three points as they navigate the early group stage of Oceania's path to the World Cup. Playing in front of their home fans, Samoa asserted their dominance over their rivals, scoring twice while keeping a clean sheet. The win is a positive first step in a qualification process where momentum is key, given the compact format of the OFC preliminaries. For American Samoa, the away defeat is a setback, but they will aim to show improvement in their remaining matches. Samoa will look to build on this foundation, with the victory boosting confidence and their position in the group table as they chase a historic place in the next round of qualifying.