The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) honors and thanks Inna Kristianne Palacios, former captain and long-time goalkeeper of the Philippine women’s national football team, following her retirement from international duty—closing an international career with her leading the Filipinas’ steady growth toward global recognition.
Palacios’ national team journey is inseparable from the growth of Philippine women’s football itself. A product of the PFF youth program for girls since 2007, she was first called up to the Philippine under-16 team at just 13 years old, embodying the Federation’s early commitment to grassroots and long-term development. From those formative years to her final appearance at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, her career spanned nearly two decades of service to the national badge.
“Inna represents what it means to stay, to fight, and to believe when success is still far away,” said PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez. “She carried this team through its hardest years, and she helped build the foundation that made historic moments like the SEA Games gold possible.”
For her part current Filipinas main goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel succinctly said about her goalkeeping mentor, “She built this team. She got us to where we are. She’s my ate, and I’m so thankful for her.”
Palacios began playing football at age four and honed her skills at Colegio San Agustin–Makati, where she collected multiple MVP honors. Her versatility saw her play several positions before finding her calling in goal. She later starred for De La Salle University in the UAAP, overcoming personal loss and injury to establish herself as the Lady Booters’ first-choice goalkeeper, winning UAAP Best Goalkeeper honors twice and even scoring a goal in her final collegiate match.
Internationally, Palacios emerged as a central figure during the Filipinas’ pre–FIFA Women’s World Cup era. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the team’s main goalkeeper and co-captain, anchoring a generation that lifted Philippine women’s football to new regional and continental relevance. Under her leadership, the Philippines qualified for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in back-to-back cycles and reached the semifinals of both the 2019 AFF Women’s Championship and the 2019 SEA Games—breakthrough results at the time.
Palacios remained a constant presence as the rapid influx of new talents–from abroad and the grassroots–boosted the Filipinas starting in the mid-2010s. She went on to earn her 50th international cap at the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship and finished her national team career with 51 caps. Even after stepping back from regular match duty, she continued to serve the team, remaining part of the national pool as substitute keeper and lending experience and guidance to the next generation.
That journey culminated at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, where Palacios—named to the roster and announcing her retirement shortly before the final—witnessed the Filipinas win their first-ever SEA Games football gold medal.
“Full circle moment for me,” Palacios reflected. “SEA Games was when I started to dream and it just took me 18 years to get the gold. It’s sad that I have to leave the team, but I know I’ve done everything I can as a player. I’ve given so much for the team, and now I want to see them dream for that.”
“I want them to know that anything they want to achieve, they can achieve,” she added. “Who ends their career with a gold? It may take time—but 18 years, I can tell you, it’s worth it.”
Her impact on the current generation is perhaps best captured by the words of McDaniel, the Filipinas’ present main goalkeeper.
“She has been my rock ever since I stepped into this team and into my role,” McDaniel said. “She’s team-first, always pushing me to be my best.”
Looking back, Palacios spoke of staying when it would have been easier to leave.
“I’m proud of myself for staying when it was so much easier to go,” she said. “When you believe with your heart, you stand by it. That’s the true heart of a Filipino.”
As Palacios steps away from international football, her legacy remains deeply embedded in the Filipinas’ identity—proof that belief, patience, and love for the game can move a program forward.
“Love deeply. Choose passion even when it’s hard,” Palacios said. “When you do, good things will come back.”
The Philippine Football Federation salutes Inna Palacios for the standard she set, the dreams she carried, and the path she helped clear for those who follow. The Federation wishes her the best as she continues her football journey as the main keeper of Kaya FC-Iloilo at the resumption of the 2025-26 PFF Women’s Cup in January 2026.
