Philippine women’s national football team head coach Mark Torcaso has outlined a strategic preparation campaign for the Filipinas’ return to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, one that will take the team across four continents leading to June 2027 as they aim to improve on its 2023 World Cup showing and advance out of the group stage.
The Filipinas’ rise has been building steadily, anchored by their historic SEA Games gold medal and carried forward into the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which served as an important litmus test of the team against elite continental opposition. Both milestones form part of a broader, deliberate build toward the World Cup, giving Torcaso and his coaching staff a clear picture of where the squad stands as preparations intensify for Brazil.
After the demanding SEA Games and AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaigns, which tested the squad against different challenges and levels of competition, the Filipinas regrouped in San Diego to recalibrate and begin the next phase of their preparations, laying the groundwork for their road to Brazil 2027.
Torcaso, in the country this week to scout for homegrown talents, said the Federation’s “full support” has been instrumental in shaping a campaign built around exposing the team to as many different styles and levels of opposition as possible ahead of the tournament in Brazil.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez affirmed PFF’s commitment to the framework Torcaso has built.
“Coach Torcaso’s preparation framework reflects a deliberate, intensive approach which PFF believes is essential to competing at the highest level,” Gutierrez said. “We are fully committed to giving him and the Filipinas every resource they need to be ready when the World Cup begins in Brazil.”
“This is our opportunity to go again, and we just want to show the world that we’re going to do this again and, more importantly, we’re going to do it our way,” Torcaso said. “We’re here to create our own path and chance to do well in this next World Cup.”
The Australian gaffer’s preparation work continued with a training camp in San Diego last month, a chance to go back to the drawing board and take a fresh look at who else could be part of the squad moving forward. The Filipinas faced club sides San Diego Wave and Albion San Diego, with a 30-player pool that included several returning and newly identified players.
“Every camp and every opportunity we’ve got is strategically organized in a way so we’re going to be ready for this World Cup,” Torcaso explained, noting the matches were deliberately arranged to test squad depth.
His Manila visit, timed to coincide with the opening of the PFF Women’s League this weekend, allowed him to reconnect with Philippine-based players. Furthermore, Torcaso intends to personally track Filipina talent playing across Southeast Asia in leagues such as in Myanmar and Taiwan.
“I want to make sure that we give everyone an opportunity to be part of this World Cup, and I don’t want to miss out on anyone,” he said. “Every player, regardless if you’re in the Philippines or playing in Myanmar or playing in Europe somewhere, I want to give everyone a chance.”
The preparation calendar also includes the Asian Games in Japan this September, where Torcaso will again lead the Filipinas following their historic quarterfinal finish in 2023. While the tournament falls outside a FIFA international window and will limit the availability of foreign-based professionals, Torcaso said it remains a valuable proving ground.
“The main objective in this Asian Games is obviously to go as far as we can, but it’s also for us as coaches and the country to test some players at a tough level to see if they’ll be ready for the World Cup,” he said.
Looking further ahead, Torcaso confirmed the team will use every remaining FIFA window before June 2027, including a trip to South America in October, matches against Asia-Oceania opposition to close 2026, the Pinatar Cup in February 2027 in Spain, and the 2028 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April 2027 featuring a home-and-away format. The campaign will close with an extended four-to-six-week camp in Brazil ahead of the World Cup itself.
Throughout, Torcaso credited the Federation’s responsiveness to his requests for specific opponents and environments.
“The Federation–through President Gutierrez and General Secretary Gelix Mercader–have been very accommodating and supportive in our preparations,” he said, adding that sponsors and local governing bodies have likewise backed the program.
Torcaso closed by appealing directly to Filipina supporters worldwide, recalling the atmosphere the team enjoyed at the 2023 SEA Games in Chonburi.
“Any country that we go to, I just really express that if we can have as much support and fans to come out and be part of our journey — everyone here, every time we have a camp here in the Philippines, come and watch the girls,” he said. “Trust me, they play so much better when they feel that love and support from everyone.”
