The Philippine Women’s National Football Team (Filipinas) will compete in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, marking the squad’s second consecutive appearance in Asia’s grandest multi-sport event following their quarterfinal finish in the 19th edition, played three years ago in Hangzhou, China.
The campaign comes six months after the Filipinas secured their second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance, defeating Uzbekistan in the playoff match of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup last March.
The Filipinas have been drawn in Group G alongside three-time gold medalist China, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong. The Philippines last faced China in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Amman, Jordan, falling 0-3, while they recently met Hong Kong in July 2025 during the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in Cambodia, winning 1-0. The Filipinas also defeated Uzbekistan, 2-0, in a 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification match during the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
The top two finishers of each group, along with the top two third-placed teams overall, will advance to the quarterfinals.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez underscored the significance of the campaign, noting that this marks the first time the Philippines will field both men’s and women’s football teams at the Asian Games.
“As one of the founding nations of the Asian Games, we recognize the deep prestige this Asian Games carries for our nation, and fielding both our men’s and women’s national teams for the first time is a milestone moment for Philippine football,” Gutierrez said. “We are giving this campaign our fullest support, ensuring both teams are equipped to compete with pride and purpose on this grand continental stage.”
Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso acknowledged the difficulty of the group draw and the availability of players due to the tournament being outside the FIFA window, while framing the tournament as a key step in the team’s preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“If I look at the groupings, I think all the groups are tough groups in their own individual ways. I think our group is a tough group,” Torcaso said. “We’ve got Hong Kong, who we narrowly beat to qualify for the Asian Cup as well, who are also a very good team, and we also know how good China is.”
He noted that the tournament presents a rare opportunity to test his side against unfamiliar opposition. “We haven’t played China ever since I’ve been here. China is a great team and it gives us a chance to play against a very, very good team,” he said. “But again… this Asian Games is also about preparing us for the World Cup.”
He added that the Asian Games will also provide exposure to players who are not part of the regular rotation in recent tournaments.
“[In this] Asian Games, [we] have a few players unavailable as it’s outside of the FIFA window, and we will use this opportunity to continue to test our young players and give opportunities to players to announce themselves on the national stage,” Torcaso said. “We want to give a chance for every player to be an option for next year’s World Cup. We will use this Asian Games as one of these options.”
Despite these, Torcaso said that the squad remains focused on making a competitive run while keeping sight of the bigger picture.
“We want to advance as a group. We want to go as far as we can in this competition. We want to enjoy success,” he said. “It’s as important as the Southeast Asian Games [where] we won gold. Our opportunity to win a medal or to go as far as possible is a reality here as well.”
Torcaso expressed his delight about the Philippines’ full participation in Asian Games football this year.
“A big thank you to the Philippine Football Federation, President John Gutierrez, General Secretary Gelix Mercader for undertaking the processes for us to play in these tournaments,” he said. “We have two teams this year, our men’s team as well as our women’s team. Support us and we will do our best to represent the country proud.”
The Filipinas will open their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 14 (1 PM), before facing Hong Kong on September 17 (6 PM) and China (3 PM) on September 21. All matches will be played at the Gifu Nagaragawa Stadium, with the specified kickoff times in Philippine Standard Time.
The player list for the Filipinas’ 2026 Asian Games campaign are as follows:
GOALKEEPERS
Olivia Alexandra McDaniel
Nina Andrea Meollo
Gabrielle Ann Rourke
DEFENDERS
Hali Moriah Long
Kaya Hawkinson
Azumi Oka
Reina Gabriela Bonta
Aiselyn Marie Sia
Sofia Nicole Wunsch
Jourdyn Curran
MIDFIELDERS
Isabella Pasion
Jaclyn Katrina Sawicki
Katrina Jacqueline Guillou
Tea Pidding
Carleigh Frilles
Camryn Penn
Skye Leach
Megan Murray
FORWARDS
Mary Louise Ramirez
Dionesa Tolentin
Natalie Collins
Angela Rachael Beard
Alessandrea Casimere Carpio
