American Samoa’s women’s national soccer team has ripped up the script in World Cup qualifying, transforming from global minnows into a legitimate threat in the Oceania Football Confederation. Ranked 153rd in the world entering the tournament, the team with an island population of just 45,319 has engineered a series of seismic upsets to book a place in the final round of OFC qualifiers. Their journey, as captain Alma Mana’o frames it, is a shift “from underdog to dark horse.”
The numbers tell a story of defiance. In November, American Samoa faced Tonga, the highest-ranked side in their initial qualification group. At 153rd, they were the lowest-ranked team in the entire OFC. Yet, 18-year-old Cassidy Drago scored the nation’s first-ever Women’s World Cup qualifying goal just before halftime, adding a second soon after in a stunning 3-0 victory. By early December, they dispatched Cook Islands in another preliminary round shocker. “Us going to the second round surprised everyone,” Mana’o recalls with a grin.
Reality was supposed to bite in the second round. First up were the Solomon Islands, Pacific Nations Cup champions in 2025 and ranked 80 places above American Samoa at 73rd globally. The Solomons had hammered them 7-1 in Olympic qualifying. But 90 minutes later, the scoreboard flashed: American Samoa 1, Solomon Islands 0. It stands as one of the greatest shocks in Women’s World Cup qualifying history. A follow-up 1-0 win over neighboring Samoa last month sealed their spot in the final OFC round.
Family is the tactical bedrock of this run. Multiple sets of sisters feature in the squad, a dynamic Mana’o champions. “This is a family, we have got to get together, hold our sisters accountable and push each other,” she says. The Mana’o family itself holds the record for most family members in FIFA events. “If we can’t win, we’re going to have the most kids!” Alma jokes. With a population smaller than most World Cup stadiums, this familial cohesion is their secret weapon.
Coach Amanda Cromwell, a 1996 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, has been the architect of their rise. Under her guidance, American Samoa has won four of their last five matches. Mana’o credits Cromwell with revolutionizing their setup. “This doesn’t happen without her pushing the federation to get us all together, to have certain meal plans, to have a trainer making sure we’re taken care of,” Mana’o states. She adds confidently: “This new standard will be the standard.”
Mana’o’s own journey mirrors the team’s evolution. At 15 in 2011, she was the first “off island” girl to play for American Samoa, debuting in an 8-0 defeat she calls “shattering.” Now, she sees 14-year-olds like Mia Toeaina and Naiyah Anaiyah Ve’e entering the squad with positive experiences. “To have all these young girls that are 14 years old coming in and having positive experiences, it’s amazing,” she says. Asked how her 15-year-old self would view today’s team, Mana’o smiles: “Fifteen-year-old-me is ecstatic.”
On Sunday, American Samoa faces Papua New Guinea in Auckland—the same city where they played their first women’s international 28 years ago, losing 21-0 to Australia. That historical context underscores the scale of their progress. With Cromwell at the helm and a family-driven squad, they have genuine hope of advancing further. From 153rd rank to dark horse status, American Samoa’s World Cup fairytale is writing a new chapter in tactical resilience and statistical defiance.
