Football was contested as part of the programme for the 1979 South Pacific Games which was hosted in Suva, Fiji from 28 August to 8 September 1979. It was the sixth edition of the men's football tournament at the multi-sport event organised by the Pacific Games Council.
The football tournament began with the first matches of the group stage on 29 August 1979 and ended with the gold medal match on 7 September 1979. Hosts Fiji and defending champions Tahiti contested the final. Tahiti defeated Fiji 3âÂÂ0 to win the gold medal. In the bronze medal match, the Solomon Islands defeated New Caledonia 3âÂÂ1.
Football had been part of the South Pacific Games programme following the debut of the men's competition at the inaugural 1963 South Pacific Games in Fiji.
New Caledonia held the record for gold medals having won the football tournament three times. Tahiti were the defending champions after defeating New Caledonia 2âÂÂ1 after extra time in the gold medal match at the 1975 South Pacific Games in Guam.
Neither Kiribati nor Tuvalu had fielded a football team before.
A total of 12 teams took part in the competition. They were drawn into four single round robin groups of three teams. The group winners and runners-up would contest the quarter-finals The winners of the quarter-finals would contest the semi-finals which would decide the teams contesting the gold and bronze medal matches. A consolation tournament was held for the teams finishing third in the group stage and the losing quarter-finalists.
Fiji won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Papua New Guinea.
Tahiti won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Tuvalu.
The Solomon Islands won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside Wallis and Futuna.
New Caledonia won the group to progress to the quarter-finals alongside the New Hebrides.
Fiji defeated Wallis and Futuna, Tahiti defeated the New Hebrides, the Solomon Islands defeated Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia defeated Tuvalu in the quarter-finals.
Fiji defeated the Solomon Islands and Tahiti defeated New Caledonia in the semi-finals.
The Solomon Islands defeated New Caledonia to win the bronze medal.
Tahiti defeated Fiji to win the gold medal.
Guam defeated Western Samoa, the New Hebrides defeated Papua New Guinea, Tonga defeated Wallis and Futuna and Tuvalu defeated Kiribati in the quarter-finals.
Guam defeated Tuvalu and the New Hebrides defeated Tonga in the semi-finals.
Despite being scheduled, it is believed that the fifth-place match never took place.