113-476: The United Football League FA League Cup , commonly known as UFL FA League Cup , was a Filipino association football competition. It was played on a multistage format that culminates in a knockout stage (single elimination). Clubs that were eligible to compete for the cup were those who then played in the United Football League 's two divisions. The only edition of this tournament was part of
226-706: A football school at the SM Mall of Asia . It is the third football school created by Chelsea in Asia, after two others in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur . The school is operated by Phil Younghusband and James Younghusband , brothers and former members of Chelsea's Reserves and Youth Team . After a year, Smart Communications sponsored the soccer school through its partnership with the Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA) to visit schools throughout
339-433: A home-and-away, double round-robin format, and the " Finals Series ", a play-off round where the top four teams of the regular season played each other to determine the champions of the league. The Finals Series was not held for the succeeding seasons. The league only had one division since its existence, but there are plans to introduce a second division as the league expands, with a system of promotion and relegation within
452-544: A league format following the folding of the Pinay Futbol League in 2013 and became the first women's domestic league in the country. The league sanctioned by PFF as an amateur league as part of FIFA's Women's Development Project for the Philippines. The Philippine national men's football team represents the Philippines in men's international football. The national team is referred to as the " Azkals " ―
565-590: A new kit design supplied by Puma . On 3 May 2024, Philippines announced a four-year partnership with Puma until 2028. Under the official FIFA Trigramme the team's name is abbreviated as PHI ; this acronym is used by FIFA , the AFC and the AFF to identify the team in official competitions. The team is also identified under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) country code for
678-582: A number of wars have broken out on the islands, all football organizations were briefly postponed. The United States had invaded Cuba and then the Philippines during that period. After the ship sank resulting in significant casualties, the Americans declared war against Spain which led to the Spanish–American War . This ended the Spanish governance in the Philippines and Cuba, and was replaced by
791-401: A plan named Project 100, which aimed to make the team among the top 100 national teams in the world in terms of FIFA rankings. More foreign-born Filipinos were called up to play for the national squad. The Philippines's campaign at the 2010 AFF Championship under Simon McMenemy 's tenure was a breakthrough. Holding a primal ticket as one of two teams along with Laos that had to qualify for
904-490: A record number of entries. However, it was revealed that the decision not to enter the 2010, as well as the 2006 World Cup qualification, was made during the PFF presidency of Rene Adad, whose term ended in 2003. Instead, the PFF wanted to focus on domestic and regional competitions. The Philippines failed to qualify for any major competition in 2008. They missed out on the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup only on goal difference , and
1017-670: A striker at the age of 15 for Barcelona, which made him the club's youngest and second highest goal scorer behind Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi . Since then, the first football teams began to form, including the Manila Sporting Club in 1906, the Sandow Athletic Club in 1909, and the Bohemian Sporting Club in 1910. To promote and revive the sport, some European and American international football clubs and organizations have helped
1130-591: A total budget of ₱ 458,046 (≈ € 7,500 or ≈ $ 10,000 ). The next project, in December 2006, constructed the headquarters of the PFF in Pasig . Its third project was to upgrade the pitch in the Rizal Memorial Stadium to an artificial turf from August to September 2012, but it was discontinued because Philippine Football Federation President Mariano Araneta said that conducting
1243-593: A word that is similar to Filipino term Askal meaning street dog. In addition, there are other youth national teams that represent the country in other competitions such as the Philippines national under-23 football team , also known as the Philippine Olympic team, the Philippines national under-19 football team , and the Philippines national under-17 football team . The Philippines national futsal team represents men's international futsal , and
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#17327752584221356-442: Is black and has a yellow trim on the chest area and a weave pattern with the three stars and the sun and Azkals logo incorporated in the design, in front around the shoulder area. Adidas was also announced as the footwear sponsor of the team for the qualifiers. Spanish sportswear brand Kelme became the official kit provider of the national team in 2021. In June 2022, the team used Chronos Athletics-made kits when they competed in
1469-574: Is set to be the new facility for the school. Another Spanish club, Barcelona , conducted a camp in Muntinlupa named "Barcelona Escola Camp 2013". It began on 17 April and ended on 21 April 2013. Two coaches from Barcelona Escola, Joseph Moratalla and Jordi Blanco, came to the Philippines. The camp was organized by Team Socceroo . A second camp was scheduled on 18 to 22 December 2013, held in Emperador Stadium , Taguig . Coaches from
1582-453: Is similar to the France national team ; blue jersey, white shorts, and red socks. However, in recent times, the home and away kit has either been all-blue, all-red or all-white, currently is the all-white as home jerseys. The current kit supplier of the national team is German sportswear Puma . Adidas , as well as Japanese company Mizuno , has provided kits for the team in the past. Puma
1695-491: Is the most popular sport, the Philippines' most popular sports are basketball and boxing , inherited from American rule . This drives away many football talents and contributes to the lack of success of football in the country. Often, the Philippines would suffer group stage eliminations at the AFF Championship . However, since the 2010 AFF Championship , the country has attempted to develop football as part of
1808-518: Is the most-watched sport at 74.4%, and football is fourth at 17.9%. In the second survey, basketball was found to be the most-played sport during leisure time at 9.6%, while association football did not make the list. Football saw some rise in the fifties where the country saw enthusiasm for the sport built through the football teams of top educational institutions such as the Ateneo , Letran , La Salle , San Beda , San Carlos , UST , Silliman , and
1921-491: The 1968 Summer Olympics . Foreigners were hired to serve as head coaches for the national team in an attempt to reduce big margin loses. Englishman Allan Rogers was hired following the record defeat to Malaysia, and Spaniard Juan Cutillas was likewise tasked to lead the national team following the record defeat to Japan. In the early sixties, the Philippine Football Association partnered with
2034-510: The 2008 AFF Championship with an inferior goals scored record. Dan Palami , businessman and sports patron, was appointed as team manager of the national team in 2009 by the Philippine Football Federation. The national team still received minimal support from the government. Palami made financial investments into the team using his own personal money. Since taking responsibility over the national team, he envisioned
2147-621: The 2012 Philippine Peace Cup in Manila would lessen the expenses of the PFF in the event. FIFA's final project was to build a technical center in Bukidnon , which includes a natural grass pitch, dormitories, changing rooms, lecture rooms and offices. A number of foreign countries and clubs have offered to help promote and popularise the sport within the country. In 2010, the German Football Association (DFB) recommended
2260-508: The 2017 AFC Cup , the Philippine Football Federation decided to make Panaad Stadium the national team's home again for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers . The RMS has also become a hub for track and field . The continued use for athletics along with poor maintenance has deteriorated the stadium and the 1991 Southeast Asian Games was the last time it was used for international football matches.vIn early 2009,
2373-529: The 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers was their first-ever World Cup qualifier victory away from home. Their campaign to qualify for the FIFA World Cup ended in the second round though they advance to the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. In late 2016 the Philippines jointly hosted the group stage of the AFF Championship with Myanmar though they fail to progress from
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#17327752584222486-544: The 2019 AFC Asian Cup with a 0–1 defeat to South Korea . then a 0–3 loss to China and was edged 1–3 by Kyrgyzstan , with Stephan Schröck scoring a historic goal for the Azkals in the tournament. Following a relatively successful debut in the Asian Cup, the Philippines began their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification where they were grouped together with Syria , China , Guam and the Maldives . In their opening game,
2599-721: The 2022 FIFA World Cup , before ending the qualification with a 1–1 draw to the Maldives. Nonetheless, the third place in their group meant the Philippines qualified for the third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers . At the third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Ulaanbaatar , the Philippines managed to draw with Yemen 0–0 and defeat the hosts Mongolia 1–0 through a last-minute goal by debutant Gerrit Holtmann but were defeated 4–0 by eventual group winners Palestine . Despite finishing second in Group B , in which
2712-485: The AFC Challenge Cup for the first time winning over former champions India and Tajikistan , though they lost 2–1 against Turkmenistan in the semifinal. In the third place-playoff the Philippines won 4–3 over Palestine . The Philippines won the 2012 Philippine Peace Cup , a friendly tournament hosted at home, which was their first title since the 1913 Far Eastern Games . At the 2012 AFF Championship ,
2825-470: The AFC Challenge Cup , the first time since qualifiers were introduced and also recorded their first ever victory in the FIFA World Cup qualification , beating Sri Lanka 4–0 in the second leg of the first preliminary round. Kuwait finished the Philippines' World Cup qualification campaign after winning over them twice in the second round. In 2012, the Philippines qualified for the semifinals of
2938-630: The Asian Football Confederation and FIFA by leading the team to second place at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup . The past three coaches, Simon McMenemy , Michael Weiß and Thomas Dooley, also made some strides at the regional level leading the team to the semifinals at the AFF Suzuki Cup ( 2010 , 2012 and 2014 editions respectively), the top football tournament in Southeast Asia . Eckhard Krautzun also led
3051-571: The British Home Championship . The national team routinely faced Japan and China and at one edition the Dutch East Indies at the games. The Philippines won over China at the inaugural tournament with a scoreline of 2–1. During the 1917 edition, the national team achieved its biggest win in international football. Led by Filipino-Spanish icon Paulino Alcantara , the Philippines defeated Japan 15–2 . After
3164-810: The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) requested if the PFF can host the third staging of the Long Teng Cup in the Philippines. It was then accepted, the Philippines which has been a regular participant since its inception in 2010, renamed the tournament the Paulino Alcántara Cup, then renamed it once again to the Paulino Alcántara Peace Cup. The tournament was eventually renamed the Philippine Peace Cup because
3277-625: The Filipino Premier League (FPL) was established as the top-flight competition in the Philippines. It featured eight clubs from the National Capital Region . The PFF also planned a Visayas and Mindanao FPL tournament in 2009, which never materialized. The first and only champion of the league, which was cancelled at the season's conclusion, was the Philippine Army . Shortly after the dissolution of
3390-543: The National Men's Club Championship to provide more local competitions. The Philippines national football team is the representative of men's international football for the Philippines. They won the Far Eastern Games once (in 1913) and became a two-time Philippine Peace Cup champion (in 2012 and 2013 ). The Philippines women's national football team , representing women's international football in
3503-519: The Philippine Football Federation (PFF), after 1982 when the PFA had reorganized itself as the PFF. The national team suffered defeats with big margins at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta . This includes the national team's record 15–1 defeat to Malaysia , which became the worst defeat of the national team at that time. The record was later broken by the 15–0 loss to Japan in 1967 at the qualifiers for
UFL FA League Cup - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-950: The Philippine Sports Commission planned to transform it to a modern football stadium which would make it usable by the national team for international matches. The national team also held official international matches at the Cebu City Sports Center in Cebu City , and at the Barotac Nuevo Plaza Field in Barotac Nuevo , Iloilo . The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. Win Draw Loss Fixture Updated as of August 29, 2024 One of
3729-518: The Philippine Sports Commission , which operates the Rizal Memorial Stadium where the tournament was held, has a rule against events named after an individual. The tournament takes place in September to celebrate Peace Month in the Philippines. The inaugural season of the Far Eastern Games (FEG) in 1913 was the first championship held in Manila. The tournament provided the first matches in international football for all three nations, including
3842-728: The Philippines Football League (PFL) was launched as the first professional football league and the highest level of men's club football in the country. The league is sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation , and replaced the United Football League which was previously the de facto top-tier league. Unlike the UFL, teams joining the PFL will be representing cities and provinces, as well as, have their own certified home stadiums and youth teams. Six of
3955-563: The Philippines national beach soccer team in men's international beach soccer . The women's team, also known as the " Filipinas (formerly Malditas) ", represents the country in women's international football. The Filipinas captured a third-place (bronze) finish in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games and has competed in the AFC Women's Asian Cup . The women's team also has qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup (first in 2023 ), while
4068-541: The Real Madrid Foundation visited the Philippines to sign an agreement with local non-governmental organizations (NGO) to open a social and sports academy for youths in Mindanao to 70 poor children with under age 14. On 15 May 2012, English club Chelsea was joined by international development manager Ian Woodroffe, and Adrian New, managing director for Asia, arrived in the country to formally launch
4181-639: The Republic of China and Japan . In the same season, the Philippines clinched their first championship title in international soccer when they defeated China 2–1. They also competed in 1915 in Shanghai , where the Chinese grabbed their first FEG title against the Filipinos. The Philippine team has competed in every Far Eastern Games, but has not yet won another tournament since 1913. In 1938 ,
4294-690: The San Miguel Corporation to seek foreign assistance to train local football players and coaches and to develop the sport in the country. These included Alan Rogers and Brian Birch, coaches from the United Kingdom . After the two were relieved, Danny McClellan and Graham Adams continued their task. In 1961, San Miguel, through the national football association, brought in four medical students from Spain who were experts in football — Francisco Escarte, Enrique dela Mata, Claudio Sanchez and Juan Cutillas . Escarte and dela Mata left
4407-635: The Shangri-La at the Fort in Taguig. The PFL followed a traditional home-and-away double round-robin format from the 2018 to 2019 seasons, although some clubs did not have their home stadiums at the time. The 2020 season had all matches held in at a single venue due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines . In the inaugural season of 2017, the league had two phases, the regular season, which adopted
4520-459: The United Football League (UFL), a semi-professional league. After the league's second season, AKTV became its official TV broadcaster with the signing of a ₱ 150 million (~$ 3.3 million or ~€2.5 million), five-year deal, which ensures the airing of two live matches every week. The deal was further improved with a new TV arrangement in which four live matches would be aired every week on primetime television on AksyonTV . On 21 April 2017,
4633-487: The University of Visayas . The Philippine Football Association partnered with San Miguel Brewery to seek foreign assistance in developing football in the country. In the early sixties, British coaches Alan Rogers and Brian Birch were brought in and funded by San Miguel to train referees, coaches and players in the country. Due to lack of facilities, the two coaches organized a five-a-side football competition which
UFL FA League Cup - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-472: The World Cup . However, the national team managed to qualify for the 2012 edition of the AFC Challenge Cup , the first time since qualifiers were introduced and also recorded their first ever victory in the FIFA World Cup qualification , beating Sri Lanka 4–0 in the second leg of the first preliminary round. Kuwait finished the Philippines' World Cup qualification campaign after winning over them twice in
4859-549: The 1890s, when the British introduced the sport to the Spanish and European settlers living on the islands. The Philippine Football Federation was established in 1907 and it would soon feature several Hispanic Filipino sportsmen that included FC Barcelona , Real Madrid , Real Sociedad , Atlético Madrid and Real Zaragoza legends such as Manuel Amechazurra , Paulino Alcántara , Juan Torena , Eduardo Teus , Marcelino Gálatas and Gregorio Querejeta , who would eventually become
4972-670: The 1930s, Gregorio Querejeta became the first Filipino to play in the La Liga in Spain, where he appeared in over 122 matches for Real Zaragoza , Atlético Madrid and Gimnàstic de Tarragona . The popularity of " The Beautiful Game " did not decrease in participation when the Americans founded basketball in the Philippines in 1910 as part of the physical education curriculum in Philippine schools. Two surveys were conducted in parts of Metro Manila in 2012—the first found that basketball
5085-499: The 2014–15 United Football League season , preceding the league proper and the ULF Cup , the pre-existing and separate cup tournament. The 2014 United Football League FA League Cup was the first and only edition of the tournament. The competition started on September 20 and ended on November 6, 2014. The 14 clubs were separated into two groups of seven, where the top four advanced to the quarterfinals. Separate draws took place before
5198-532: The Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge which increased the team's chance. However, the Syrians once again blew the chance of the Filipinos, with the Syrians emerging with a 1–0 win over the Azkals. When COVID-19 pandemic led the games to be postponed to 2021, the Philippines had to play in a centralised venue in Sharjah . The Filipinos then won against Guam 3–0, but lost 0–2 to China and thus did not manage to reach
5311-510: The Azkals met Syria at home and took an early lead, only to see the Syrians manage an outstanding comeback and smash the Azkals 5–2 in Bacolod . Following the crushing home defeat, the Pinoys regained its pace with two away wins over Guam and the Maldives. Between these matches, the Pinoys also hosted China at home where they acquired an encouraging goalless draw, after a splendid performance by
5424-620: The Elizalde Company. In 1971 Juan Cutillas, selected four Spanish players and one Chinese in an effort to boost the Philippine national team. The national team joined the tournaments such as the Pestabola Merdeka , Pesta Sukan, Jakarta Anniversary Tournament , and the President Park Tournament . The Philippines managed to cause upsets results against Thailand , Singapore , and South Korea . When
5537-802: The FEG was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War . The Philippine team competed in the Asian Games numerous times, making their debut in 1954 when the Philippines hosted the tournament. The Filipinos were in Group A with South Vietnam and Chinese Taipei . All games was held in Rizal Memorial Stadium . Their matches were both losses, resulting in early elimination. They returned in 1958 in Tokyo , this time competing in Group C. The Azkals recorded their first win at
5650-430: The Filipino Premier League, the Football Alliance sought to renew the interest of Filipinos in football. The Alliance entered into discussions with the United Football Clubs Association for the possibility of establishing another top-flight football competition in the Philippines. Instead of creating a whole system and competition, the United Football Clubs Association agreed to partner with the Football Alliance in operating
5763-402: The Japanese press. The years following 1958 saw the decline of Philippine football, as several key players resigned from the national team due to financial challenges for playing. National team players Ed Ocampo and Eduardo Pacheco switched to basketball, and went on playing for commercial basketball clubs where players are paid. The Philippine Congress passed Republic Act 3135 that revised
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#17327752584225876-399: The PFF with an offer to finance a new local football cup competition, the PFF National Men's Club Championship . The proposed partnership was set to last 10 years, with Smart releasing ₱ 80 million in funds with the aim of providing more playing opportunities for football players, and the eventual creation of a national cup. In March 2011, the first season of the cup began. Since 2012,
5989-430: The PFL to be put in place. There was a proposal to convert the former UFL to a second division tournament or a reserve league to the PFL. The Copa Paulino Alcantara is the cup tournament of the PFL since the 2018 season. The Champions of the PFL automatically qualify to compete in the group stages of the AFC Champions League . Meanwhile, the winners of the Copa Paulino Alcantara automatically qualify to compete in
6102-430: The Philippine Peace Cup. Since winning the 2012 Peace Cup , for the first time in 99 years, the national team earned their first international title after winning all of their games. Also in 2013 , they retained the title after a win over Pakistan . In late 2016 the Philippines jointly hosted the group stage of the 2016 AFF Championship with Myanmar though they fail to progress from the group stage like they did in
6215-421: The Philippines , achieved a third-place (bronze) finish at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games . There are many stadiums that can be found in the Philippines, like the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila , which is the national stadium of the country. It is also the home stadium of the Philippine football team. Meanwhile, the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod is the secondary venue for the Philippines. In 1895, football
6328-484: The Philippines as PHL . However the team was more commonly known as the RP , the acronym for the country's official name, Republika ng Pilipinas , which the local press used when they referred to the team as the "RP Booters" or the "RP XI". This was until late October 2010 when the Department of Foreign Affairs decided to change the official abbreviation of the country from "RP" to "PH" or "PHL", to be in line with ISO standards. The local press have since referred to
6441-451: The Philippines faced U.S. club LA Galaxy as a part of their Asia-Pacific Tour in the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which Galaxy won 6–1. Manchester United with its sponsor, a shampoo brand Clear made a "multi-year partnership" as they will hold training camps facilitated by coaches in the sport. The Manchester United Soccer School will teach 32 amateur footballers in an "intense and rigorous" program. Tryouts were held in March 2014. In 2008,
6554-399: The Philippines had regularly competed with Japan and the Republic of China in the Far Eastern Championship Games . So far, the national team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup only once, in 2019. They finished second at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup after losing to Palestine in the final. Unlike most of Southeast Asia where football
6667-454: The Philippines have only gotten their first ever win of the tournament during the 2004 AFF Championship . The Philippines eventually failed to reach their target, only getting a draw in three matches. Their poor performances led to Caslib's resignation, as well as the refusal of the PFF to register and enter the qualification stages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup . They would be one of four nations, all from Southeast Asia , not to enter after
6780-449: The Philippines in conjunction with Smart's program. Soon after its establishment, they built an artificial grass football field named as Gatorade -Chelsea Blue Pitch in Ayala Alabang . The opening ceremonies was joined with Ayala Corporation president, Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Makati mayor Jun Binay and Makati representative Monique Lagdameo last 15 January 2014. The venue has a dimension of 64.5 by 100 metres (212 by 328 ft) and it
6893-434: The Philippines progress through its development, they have included FC Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Australia, France, the United States, Argentina and Serbia. FIFA also assisted the country by building and upgrading facilities including the creation of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) headquarters in 2009. As well, the establishment of the United Football League (UFL) and
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#17327752584227006-401: The Philippines replicated their performance in 2010 by advancing to the semifinal. They lost to Singapore on aggregate by a single goal in the two-legged semifinal. [REDACTED] The Philippines reached the final of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup . With a berth to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup on the line, the Philippines lost to Palestine 1–0 on May 30. The Philippines once again advanced from
7119-408: The Philippines. The management then decided to acquire the design made by JerseyBird, a small US-based sportswear brand. Chronos Athletics remained as the kit supplier, with both sides agreed to retain the JerseyBird logo on the kits and to be distributed under a subsidiary brand, Azkals Sportswear. In the recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Iraq, the Philippines were seen wearing
7232-576: The Spanish players, Tomas Lozano, Mannuel Cuenca, Juan Guitierrez, and Julio Roxas left the football team due to financial reasons, football in the country saw another decline and basketball gained foothold in the country. There have been four projects accepted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ), to build and upgrade football facilities in the Philippines. In the first project, approved in August 2000, FIFA built six technical centers on Iloilo , Laguna , Negros Occidental , Cagayan de Oro , Zamboanga , and Agusan del Sur , with
7345-478: The United States. When the war broke out, all football teams disbanded and abandoned the city, either to save themselves and their families from the conflict. After the war, and the restoration of peace in the regions of Luzon, six football teams were formed, among them the Manila Sporting Club , the Paris Club , and the Manila Jockey Club . In 1906, the Sandow football team was established (further developed as Sandow Athletic Club in 1909). On 15 October 1907,
7458-428: The camp shared their training, philosophy, methodology, and values with the children. After the destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in the country, FIFA gave the PFF $ 1 million to rebuild and rehabilitate damaged football facilities. Leyte Football Association President Dan Palami and other football officials are planning to construct a training center in Tacloban from the grant FIFA gave. On 3 December 2011,
7571-399: The charter of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation , which had a provision, or a 60-40 rule, that mandated teams to not have more than 40 percent Chinese and other players with foreign blood. Sponsors withdrew and leagues, which were mostly funded by the Chinese-Filipino community, started to decline. The 60–40 rule was lifted much later during the tenure of president Johnny Romualdez of
7684-434: The color of their kit) which was modified to Azul Calle , shortened to AzCal , and finally became Azkal – a word that is similar to Filipino term Askal meaning street dog. "Azkals" became a trending topic on Twitter during the semifinals of the 2010 AFF Championship . The name would be officially adopted by the PFF during the tenure of general team manager Dan Palami until 2023. Its discontinuation of its use by
7797-407: The competition's top individual awardees. Football in the Philippines Football in the Philippines is administered by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the governing body of football in the country. Football is a popular sport in the Philippines played at professional and amateur levels across the country. Football has a long and rich history in the islands, dating back to
7910-474: The country after one year. In 1971, head coach Juan Cutillas recruited five foreign players to play for the national team: four Spaniards and one Chinese. The national team joined several international competitions such as the Merdeka Tournament , Jakarta Anniversary Tournament and the President Park Tournament . The team caused some upset results against the national teams of Thailand , Singapore and South Korea . The national team saw another decline after
8023-422: The country and to train local players. The composition of the Spanish quarter were: Francisco Escarte, Enrique dela Mata, Claudio Sanchez, and Juan Cutillas , with the former two leaving after a year. The group was then followed by, Peter Leaver from the United Kingdom who focused on developing school football and assisted schools such as Ateneo and La Salle. Philippine football also received promotional support from
8136-414: The country where basketball is the more popular sport. In the knockout stage, they had to play both their designated home and away games against Indonesia in Jakarta due to the unavailability of a stadium that passes AFF standards. The Philippines lost both games to end their campaign. The following year, Michael Weiß became the head coach. The national team managed to qualify for the 2012 edition of
8249-527: The country where basketball is the more popular sport. In the knockout stage, they had to play both their designated home and away games against Indonesia in Jakarta due to the unavailability of a stadium that passes AFF standards. The Philippines lost both games to end their campaign. The following year, the Michael Weiß became the Philippines head coach. The Philippines has not made an appearance in
8362-576: The dissolution of the Far Eastern Championship Games, the national squad participated in the 1940 East Asian Games organized to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the foundation of the Empire of Japan by Emperor Jimmu . The team finished third behind champions Japan and second placers Manchukuo , and ahead of the Republic of China . In the 1950s the Philippines hosted friendlies with international-based sides, However,
8475-415: The earlier head coaches of the national team was Dionisio Calvo . Foreign coaches of American, Argentinean, English, German, Scottish, Spanish, and Swedish nationality have managed the national team. Juan Cutillas has managed the team in at least four non-consecutive tenures (1969–1978, 1981–1984, 1996–2000 and 2008–09). Thomas Dooley led the national team to its best finish in a tournament sanctioned by
8588-588: The eight teams joining the inaugural season came from the UFL, namely Ceres–Negros , Global Cebu , JPV Marikina , Kaya FC–Makati , Loyola Meralco Sparks , and Stallion Laguna . Two new teams Davao Aguilas , and Ilocos United were formed to join the new league. The Philippine Football Federation has not been able to organize a national tournament since 2007, when they staged the PFF Centennial Men's Open Championship due to "variety of reasons". In January 2011, Smart Communications approached
8701-736: The facilities within the complex is the 12,000 capacity national stadium , known as the Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium or simply the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Since its opening, it has been the home venue of the Philippine national team until May 2015 when they declared the 25,000 seater and Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan as their new home. However, due to disappointing attendance numbers in PSS and RMS and an impressive crowd for Ceres–Negros 's run to
8814-623: The federation was confirmed in February 2024. The Azkals name would be adopted by an independent 7-a-side club in 2024 competing in the 7's Football League led by Palami and former national team players. During the early years of the Philippine national team, they played their home matches at the Manila Carnival Grounds. By 1934 it became the site of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex . One of
8927-456: The first Filipino and Asian player to play for a European football club. He was signed at FC Barcelona as a defender, and soon made an impact helping Barcelona win the Spanish championship title in 1908. Four years later, Paulino Alcántara became the second Filipino footballer to play for a European club. Alcántara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15 against Català Sporting Club , where he scored his first hat-trick . Alcántara remains
9040-462: The first Filipinos and Asian footballers to play for a professional European club in Spain . Amechazurra was the first to achieve great heights at Spanish football, playing for FC Barcelona and he was followed by Alcántara later on, after also achieving success with the same football club. Alcántara went on to become the youngest Filipino footballer to play in Spain, where he made his professional debut as
9153-717: The first official football match was held in Manila, with the celebration of the opening of the Philippine Assembly . The trophy, a silver cup donated by 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft , was won by the Sandow Athletic Club. Soon, more clubs were formed. In 1910, the Bohemian Sporting Club was organized and began to train football players. In 1920, the Circulo Social Deportivo
9266-488: The first time in 2019 . They have also played at the AFC Challenge Cup , which formerly served as a qualifier for the Asian Cup prior to 2019. They have made three appearances; in 2006 , 2012 , and 2014 . The 2006 AFC Challenge Cup was the opening season of the competition, held in Bangladesh . The Philippines advanced automatically because there was no qualification stages. After competing in Group A, they concluded
9379-413: The first time in the history of the tournament. They did not concede a single defeat and their win against defending champions Vietnam in the group stage in particular was considered as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. The match, which would later be referred by local Filipino fans as the " Miracle of Hanoi ", is also considered as the match that started a football renaissance in
9492-612: The five best runner-up teams across all the groups qualify for the tournament, the Azkals failed to qualify for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after finishing as the worst runner-up . Philippines then played in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification being place alongside Iraq and two regional rivals, Indonesia and Vietnam. The team the finished last in the table with 1 draw against Indonesia on 21 November 2023 and 5 losses. Long-time general manager, Dan Palami stepped down from his role in January 2024. In 2024, Philippines
9605-399: The four Spanish players left the team due to financial reasons and basketball gained more foothold over football in the country. The national team under German head coach Eckhard Krautzun finished fourth overall at the 1991 Southeast Asian Games , its best ever finish at the tournament. The Philippines dealt a 1–0 defeat to defending champions Malaysia at the tournament which knocked out
9718-706: The games over Japan, but eventually lost to Hong Kong . In 1962 , the Asian Games were held in Jakarta . Chinese Taipei and Israel were excluded in the tournament when the Indonesian government refused to issue visas for the Israeli and Taiwanese delegations. Meanwhile, Burma withdrew from competition. The Philippine team finished last in the standings, behind South Vietnam, Indonesia , and Malaya . The team finished last again in 1974 after losing every game. Beginning in 2002 , an age division of under-23
9831-529: The group stage at the 2014 AFF Championship by winning over Indonesia , the first time since the 1934 Far Eastern Games , and Laos despite their loss to Vietnam . The Philippines faced Thailand in the two-legged semifinal, coming up with a goalless draw against their opponents at home in Manila but losing the away match at Bangkok . Thomas Dooley became the head coach of the national team. In October 2015 their 2–0 victory over Yemen in Doha , Qatar in
9944-561: The group stage like they did in the past three editions. Though the national team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia , they secured qualification for 2019 AFC Asian Cup after defeating Tajikistan , 2–1 at home in their final qualifier match. In May 2018, the national team reached 111th rank in the FIFA World Ranking making it the highest rank that the team has. The Philippines made its historic debut in
10057-588: The group stages of the AFC Cup , though they also qualify for the preliminary round of the AFC Champions League play-offs. Likewise, the premier women's football league in the country is the PFF Women's League , which was launched on November 5, 2016 by the Philippine Football Federation, to follow up with the PFF Women's Cup that was launched in 2014. The competition became the first to follow
10170-504: The largest win in Philippine international football history. Alcántara only played once for the Philippines that finished second in the tournament. He also made some appearances in other national teams, including Catalonia and Spain . In 1916, while continuing his studies in medicine, he played football for a local team, the Bohemian Sporting Club, whom he helped win two Philippine Championships in 1917 and 1918. In
10283-473: The latter out of the tournament at just the group stage. Norman Fegidero scored the sole goal for the Philippines. In September 2006, the country fell to 195th on the FIFA World Rankings , its lowest ever. By the end of the year, the Philippines moved back up to 171st overall, after a good run in the 2007 AFF Championship qualification . They were able to win three games in a row, which
10396-514: The men's and the youth teams have yet to qualify for their equivalent world cup tournaments. Philippines women's national futsal team represents the country in women's futsal. Philippines national football team The Philippines national football team ( Filipino : Pambansang koponan ng futbol ng Pilipinas ) represents the Philippines in international football , governed by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and has been playing internationally since 1913. Prior to World War II ,
10509-543: The national team experienced lack of funding and barely received any coverage from the media. During that time talents from the national team were drawn from the Manila Football League which received substantial support from the Chinese-Filipino community. The national team's decent performance at the 1958 Asian Games , hosted in Tokyo , where they defeated Japan 1–0, was labeled as an upset by
10622-442: The national team. Local firm LGR Sportswear became the official kit provider of the national team in 2015 and a new set of kits made by LGR were unveiled to the public on 5 June which was later used by the team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers . The home and away kits were white and blue respectively. Filipino weave design and the three stars and the sun are present at the back of the home and away kits. The goalkeeper's kit
10735-488: The past three editions. Though the national team failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, they secured qualification for 2019 AFC Asian Cup after defeating Tajikistan, 2–1 at home in their final qualifier match. The premier men's football league in the country is the Philippines Football League , which replaced the previous United Football League in late 2016. It officially launched on April 21, 2017 at
10848-489: The quarterfinals and semi-finals to determine which clubs will face off. All times are Philippine Standard Time (PST) – UTC+8 . In the quarter-finals stage, matchups were made via random draw. They will play against one another in a single leg knockout basis. The draw for the quarter-finals round was held on October 23, 2014. After the quarterfinals, another random draw will determine semifinal pairings. Correct as of 11:30, November 6, 2014 The following were
10961-502: The second round. The Filipinos grabbed their best finish in the cup when they were ranked third in the 2012 edition , with a loss from Turkmenistan in the semi-finals, and a victory against Palestine in the third place playoff . In the national team's 2013 season, they capped off the year by finishing 127th in the FIFA World Rankings as their new all-time high. The Philippines won two minor competitions, both in
11074-501: The services of former Rwanda U-17 coach Michael Weiß as coach of the "Azkals", a nickname for the national team, after Dan Palami's three-day visit in Frankfurt . The DFB gave the Philippine Football Federation a grant of € 500,000 (≈₱ 31 million or ≈$ 11,000 ). However, after three years as a head coach, Weiß was no longer part of the Azkals after the PFF's year-end evaluation. On 18 October 2011, officials from
11187-523: The sport's renaissance, finding more incentives to increase football development and fan support. It eventually led to the country's first major tournament participation in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup . The Philippines participated in the Far Eastern Championship Games , which included football. The first edition was in 1913 and the last was in 1934 . The games were the first regional football tournament for national teams outside
11300-413: The standings with a loss over Chinese Taipei and two draws with India and Afghanistan . However, in the second season , they did not advance because of their performance at the qualification phase , finishing short at second place only by goal difference . Their first match was a victory over Brunei , followed by a goalless draw from Tajikistan and a 3–0 win against Bhutan . The conclusion
11413-468: The team as either "PH/PHL Booters" or "PH/PHL XI". They were also known as the "Tri–Stars," which was derived from the three stars on the Philippine flag , although this nickname was not frequently used. The national team is referred to as the "Azkals". The name was coined when an online Philippine football community proposed the nickname Calle Azul (Spanish for Streets of Blue , referring to
11526-514: The third round of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers in Mongolia. It was later explained that the Kelme kits they were supposed to wear arrived late. Following Kelme's deal with the Philippines expiring in January 2023, local sportswear brand Chronos Athletics finally became the Philippines' new kit supplier. In March 2023, following a TikTok video that went viral , presenting a concept shirt for
11639-413: The tournament , the Philippines advanced from the group stage for the first time, did not concede a single defeat, and their win against defending champions Vietnam in particular was considered one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. The match, which would later be referred by local Filipino fans as the " Miracle of Hanoi ", is also considered the match that started a football renaissance in
11752-414: The youngest player to play or score for the club. He scored 395 goals in 399 matches, making him the second club's highest goalscorer (counting goals scored in both official games and friendlies) with Lionel Messi ranking first in the record. In 1917, he was selected by the Philippines to represent the country at the Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo , helping them defeat Japan 15–2, which remains
11865-399: Was a first for the Philippines and thus qualifying for the 2007 AFF Championship . Coach at that time Aris Caslib , aimed to reach the semifinals with two wins at the group stage. The decision came despite Philippine Football Federation president Juan Miguel Romualdez stating that they would still be underdogs in the tournament and that they should not raise their expectations too high, as
11978-603: Was approved for men, which is the same as in football competitions in the Olympic Games . The Philippines U-23 has never yet made an appearance at the Asian Games since 2002. The Philippine team has participated in minor tournaments such as the Merdeka Tournament in 1962 , 1971 and 1972 , where each was finished in the group stages. The Philippines have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for
12091-524: Was established and produced a football team. To further propagate the love of the sport and to regulate soccer championship contests, all football teams within the city banded themselves together and organized the Philippine Amateur Football Association in 1907 (now the Philippine Football Federation ), and held its first championship in 1921 with Bohemian Sporting Club as champions. In 1906, Manuel Amechazurra became
12204-434: Was established when fans of Philippine Air Force and Ultras Kayas decided to form a support group for the national teams of the Philippines not necessarily just for the football team. The first outing of Ultras Filipinas was not for the national football team but for the national rugby union team . The two fan groups take alternative turns in cheering and chanting for the national team during games. The traditional home kit
12317-551: Was introduced in the Philippines by British sportsmen visiting the islands. In addition, some Filipinos sent to college in Hong Kong and China returned home and taught their friends a little bit about the game of football. Within a year, there were two or three football clubs established in Manila . While in Spain, Filipino sportsmen had played a significant role in the early development and success of Spanish football. In 1898, after
12430-634: Was invited by Malaysia for the 2024 Merdeka Tournament in September 2024 and Thailand for the 2024 King's Cup . Some fans have organized themselves to support the national team, one of them is the Ultras Filipinas , which formed in 2011. The Kaholeros started out as a gathering of friends using Twitter calling for fans to watch games of the AFC Challenge Cup at the National Sports Grill in Greenbelt . The Ultras Filipinas
12543-468: Was played in a field with the same size of a basketball court. The two were later relieved and Danny McClellan and Graham Adams were tasked train national and youth players. San Miguel through the Philippine Football Association, brought in Spanish medical students who were knowledgeable in football in 1961. Association president, Felipe Monserrat, tasked the Spaniards to garner interest in football in
12656-452: Was the official outfitter of the national team during the 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification . Later that year, Adidas assumed that role and outfitted the team that participated at the 1996 Tiger Cup . For three years from March 2008, Mizuno served as the official outfitter and equipment supplier of the team. It also helped the national federation in its grassroots development program. On 4 June 2012, Puma supplanted Mizuno's role with
12769-411: Was the same in the 2010 qualification stage , where they ended their campaign by finishing third. The Philippine national team's campaign at the 2010 AFF Championship under head coach Simon McMenemy was seen as a success and played an important role in football in the country. The national team along with Laos had to qualify for the tournament . The Philippines advanced from the group stage for
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