During the 2004 Oceania World Cup qualification/Oceania Cup the team drew 2-2 with Australia and qualified for the second leg. However, in the second leg the Solomon Islands National men's team was humiliated by Australia 5-1 and 6-0 in the two matches with Australia qualifying for the 2006 confederation cup.
The Solomons would get a second chance against the Socceroos in a two-legged series in September 2005, this time with the winner advancing to a two-legged series against CONMEBOL's fifth-place finisher for a berth in the 2006 World Cup, and the team was thrashed by Australia 7–0 on the first leg and 2–1 in the 2nd played at home.
The Solomons were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup particularly as they were seen[by whom?] as the favourites to challenge New Zealand for the Oceanian qualifying slot. They got off to a good start winning every game in their qualifying group and comfortably progressing to the knockout rounds, but defeats to New Caledonia and then to Vanuatu saw them knocked out of the competition.