The Philippine women’s national futsal team is set to make history as the country hosts the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup 2025, opening on Friday. The Filipina5 will face Poland at 8:30 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig, with Philippine Football Federation President John Gutierrez confident the team is ready to compete at the highest level.
“We’re up to the challenge. We’re not going out there just to compete, we’re going to win,” Gutierrez said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum in Manila. “How hard? It’s gonna be very hard. Butas ng karayom. Because this is the World Cup, all teams are tough. But every game is a chance for us to win, hindi lang para sumabay,” he added.
The squad, composed of Samantha Hughes, Kayla Santiago, Catherine Graversen, Judy Connolly, Jaclyn Sawicki, Charisa Lemoran, Rocelle Medano, Dionesa Tolentin, Alisha Del Campo, Isabella Flanigan, Lanie Ortillo, Regine Rebosora, Katrina Guillou, and Isabella Bandoja, recently completed a training camp in Spain with four friendly matches, including a game against the Spanish National Team. “They just came from a camp in Spain. We had four friendlies, and the experience they got will help them get ready,” Gutierrez said.
The Philippines will host 15 visiting teams, including Group A rivals Poland, Morocco, and Argentina. Gutierrez confirmed that venues, training halls, and match facilities are nearly complete. “Venues, training halls, and match halls are right on schedule. PhilSports is about 95% ready, and in the next few days, it will be complete. So really, world-class ang pinapakita natin,” he said.
The opening ceremonies, preceding the Filipina5’s debut match, are expected to be “grand,” with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and other dignitaries in attendance. “It is up to FIFA standards,” Gutierrez said. “We also expect a number of our senators and congressmen not just to support us, but also for the love of the sport.”