| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paul Francis | ||
| Date of birth | 5 December 2005 [1] | ||
| Place of birth | Solomon Islands | ||
| Position(s) | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nasinu [2] | ||
| Youth career | |||
| East Guadalcanal | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | East Guadalcanal [2] | 4 | (1) |
| 2021 | Henderson Eels | ||
| 2022–2023 | Waneagu United | (11+) | |
| 2023 | → Henderson Eels (loan) | ||
| 2024–2025 | Real Kakamora | 20 | (17) |
| 2025 | Central Coast | 0 | (0) |
| 2025– | Nasinu | 10 | (9) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022– | Solomon Islands U20 | 7 | (7) |
| 2022 | Solomon Islands U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 2024 | Solomon Islands "B" | 4 | (1) |
| 2024– | Solomon Islands | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:18, 28 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Paul Francis (born 5 December 2005) is a Solomon Islands professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Fiji Premier League club Nasinu and the Solomon Islands national team. Known for his pace, dribbling skill, and goal-scoring ability, he is regarded as one of the best young players in Oceania. [3] [4] [5]
Born in Guadalcanal Province, Francis began his career at local side East Guadalcanal Frigates and represented the team at the 2020 Guadalcanal Cup. [6] As a 14-year-old, he was named to the Guadalcanal provincial football team for the 2020 Solomon Cup, where he scored two goals. Francis's ability was noticed by Guadalcanal coach Eddie Marahare, who also served as the head coach for 2020–21 league champions Henderson Eels.
Aged 15, Francis made his senior debut for Eels in the 2021–22 season in a 4–1 win against Marist, in which he scored a brace. After the end of the season, Francis was then signed by Waneagu United. [7] In his first full season, Francis scored 11 goals with Waneagu as the team's top scorer. Francis temporarily returned to Eels to begin the 2023 season on loan, before being re-called by Waneagu at mid-season. He then joined Real Kakamora in 2024. [1]
Francis rose to international prominence in 2024, in which his goal-scoring exploits for S-League club Real Kakamora (which had famously lost all 22 of their matches the previous season) helped lead the team to a third-placed finish, their best in club history. [8] Almost immediately, Francis became a beloved cult hero among the club's supporters, and finished 3rd in scoring that season. After Kakamora's league license was controversially denied for the next season, he left in 2025 to sign a one-year contract with Central Coast. This deal was later voided and he joined Fiji Premier League club Nasinu instead. [2]
Francis has represented the Solomon Islands U20 and U23 teams since 2022 during the OFC U-19 Championship and the 2023 OFC Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. [9] He also represented the Solomon Islands "B" national team during the 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup, scoring the team's only goal at the tournament during a 3–1 loss against Vanuatu. [10]
He was first called up to the Solomon Islands senior team for the 2023 Tri-Nations Series and was included on the bench during a 2–0 victory against Fiji on 20 March 2023. [11] [12] As a second-half substitute on 14 November 2024, Francis made his debut for Solomon Islands during a 3–2 loss against New Caledonia during 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. [13] [14] Francis's exclusion from the team's other two matches, including a 1–0 loss to 10-man Fiji, drew significant controversy from fans of Solomon football and led to calls for the sacking of national team head coach Josh Smith.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Islands | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
| Solomon Islands "B" | 2024 | 4 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 1 | |
| No. | Team | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Solomon Islands "B"  | 15 December 2024 | Lawson Tama Stadium, Honiara, Solomon Islands | 3 |  Vanuatu | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2024 MSG Prime Minister's Cup | [10] |
East Guadalcanal Frigates
Henderson Eels
Real Kakamora
Solomon Islands