Tahiti's team preparing for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, a tournament they have made the final of twice in the past 10 years, are all amateurs.
They don't have a league to play in.
Beach soccer doesn't have the global commercial clout of its grass equivalent, which is particularly true in Tahiti.
Tiki Toa's star striker Roonui Tinirauarii is a police officer, while other members of the squad are delivery drivers and firefighters.
When it comes to grass football, Tahiti are ranked 156th in the world and just failed in their bid to reach next year's World Cup.
Yet the nation's beach side occupy 13th spot on the rankings and are a genuine force, having reached the quarter-finals in 2021 and 2024 after finishing runners-up in 2015 and 2017.
Tahiti's eighth consecutive World Cup begins on May 2 in Seychelles, where they'll hope to claim the winners' prize of $US45,000 ($A70,000).
"I'd love to be a professional beach soccer player, but I'll have to leave Tahiti and play abroad," Tinirauarii told AAP.
"We're all waiting for Tahiti to organise a beach soccer championship because there's a lot of potential here.
"Our team are made up of police officers, firefighters and delivery people. We are all grass players.
"Some people play beach soccer on the beaches, but there isn't enough infrastructure."
Tahiti boasts a population of 281,000 people, similar to the regional Victorian city of Geelong.
The island hosted the 2013 Beach Soccer World Cup, finishing fourth but captivating the nation in a similar way to the Matildas' run to the semi-finals of the 2023 Women's World Cup.
"It was at that tournament our national beach soccer team won the hearts of the Polynesians," Tinirauarii said.
"This was the first World Cup on the island of Tahiti, and it was a major event for us.
"People approached us in the streets, they congratulated us on our performances and also encouraged us."
Tiki Toa will play fourth-ranked Spain, eighth-ranked Senegal and world No.42 Chile in May.
"We know that the level has increased across the world and that winning a World Cup is difficult," said Tinirauarii, who scored four goals in the previous World Cup.
"But we are competitors and will try to go as far as possible.
"Playing in a FIFA World Cup is always a dream for any footballer."
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