The Filipina5 hope to breakthrough anew after a busy 2025 with the 2026 ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship next month.
The Philippine women’s futsal team was drawn in a challenging group with defending champions Vietnam among the biggest hurdles in Group B of the 2026 ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship, which is slated February in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Two years removed from the inaugural ASEAN Women’s Futsal Championship at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, the Filipina5 will tussle with the reigning champions along with regional contenders Myanmar, and tournament debutants Australia.
The regional tiff becomes the latest chapter in Philippine Futsal’s development after their historic campaign at the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup late last year where they gained invaluable experience.
Despite being underdogs on paper, the Filipina5 have shown signs of development in recent years — especially against their Group B opponents.
During the recent Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, the Philippines lost just 0-1 against Vietnam in the semifinal, which underscored their improvement against the same team that drubbed them by five goals, 6-1, in the 2024 edition of the ASEAN tournament.
Meanwhile, they were able to stay competitive against Australia in the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup Qualifiers where they lost narrowly, 1-2.
In their last meeting against Myanmar, the Filipina5 fought to a competitive draw, 2-all.
As the Filipina5 continue to make their steady rise, the Philippine Football Federation hope for continued growth, especially after playing the role of pioneer in recent years.
“I am happy to see that the surge of women’s futsal in Southeast Asia—and eventually the world—began in the Philippines,” said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Anthony Gutierrez.
“With international women’s futsal tournaments now becoming as regular as international football competitions, futsal as a people’s sport will continue to grow rapidly in our region, and PFF is honored to be among the pioneers of this resurgence.”
The other group, Group A, features hosts Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.