Back in 2001, I was lucky enough to be selected to play and represent my school in a local futsal tournament which was held at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center at the Ateneo de Manila University. What made the tournamemt more unforgettable was 1) the chance to play futsal on the parquet floor where NBA legend Vince Carter won the Slam Dunk Contest and 2) scoring my first goal in an official match off a header.
I share this anecdote to show that futsal has been around for a long time in the Philippines.
The sport is set to reach greater heights as the Philippines hosts the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup (FFWWC) in Pasig from November 21- December 7, 2025.
The FFWWC draw ceremony was held recently at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig In attendance were Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Gutierrez, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio and former PFF President, current FIFA Council Member Mariano Araneta, and dignitaries from the 16 countries that are included in the upcoming tournament.
Guests were lucky to breathe the same air as the Brazilian Futsal Legend himself, Alessandro Rosa Vieira, also famously known as Falcao, dazzled the futsal world with his dribbling and rose to fame for his left foot. He also holds the record as the all-time leading goal scorer in men’s international futsal. He also won the FIFA Futsal World Cup twice with Brazil back in 2008 and 2012 and he also has under his belt the coveted Golden Ball in 2004 and 2008.
The Philippines ended up in Group A being hosts for this tournament, and were grouped with Poland, Morocco and Argentina. ASEAN Futsal Championship silver medalists Thailand will be tested as they go against Spain, Colombia and Canada in Group B. Tanzania will proudly represent East Africa as they go against AFC Women’s Futsal Champions Japan and are also grouped with Portugal and New Zealand. Lastly, the #1 ranked FIFA Futsal team in the world, Brazil will battle it out in the “Group of Death” against Asian giants Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy and Panama.
The FFWWC Philippines 2025 is going to be a very exciting time. Let’s support the Filipina5! Let us proudly wear our country’s colors and flock to the PhilSports Arena, cheer our hearts out for these girls as they try to “Master the speed” and win it all.
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