PASIG CITY — January 29, 2026 — The Philippine Football Federation (PFF), in close partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), formally unveiled a comprehensive infrastructure roadmap that will anchor Philippine football’s grassroots development in 2026 and beyond, during a joint press conference held Wednesday morning at the Philsports Arena New Museum.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez and PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio outlined a shared vision that places football infrastructure at the center of long-term athlete development, aligning national government support, international help, and private sector participation into a single, coordinated strategy.
According to President Gutierrez, the momentum built in 2025, marked by strong national team performances across men’s, women’s, youth, and futsal competitions, has reinforced a critical realization: Sustained success begins with adequate infrastructure.
“Grassroots to gold, gold to greatness — that’s PSC’s motto,” Gutierrez said. “Where do we start? In the grassroots. And the biggest challenge in grassroots football is infrastructure.”
Nationwide pitch-building
At the heart of PFF’s 2026 priority is a nationwide pitch-building program valued at approximately USD 3.6 million, funded through grants from FIFA, AFC, and AFF. The program includes three full-size artificial football pitches in Baguio, Dipolog, and another site to be announced; multiple 65 x 45-meter half-pitches Tagum City, Camarines Norte, Dumaguete, Davao City, Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, Butuan, Isulan, and Datu Paglas; and a growing network of FIFA Arenas — compact, high-quality mini-pitches designed specifically for grassroots and youth football — with the first FIFA Arena opened in Balanga, Bataan on January 20 and another one under construction in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
“These are all-weather artificial turfs,” Gutierrez explained. “They can be used without getting muddy during or after rain. A full-size pitch costs about ₱20 to ₱25 million, half-pitches ₱11 to ₱13 million, and quarter-pitches around ₱5 million. These are real investments entrusted to us because the international federations now recognize that the Philippines delivers.”
(The newly built FIFA Arena in Balanga, Bataan)
Among the flagship projects are FIFA Arenas in Balanga City, Bataan — inaugurated last January 20 — and Puerto Princesa, Palawan, with additional AFC- and AFF-supported half-pitches to follow, like the AFF half-pitch being constructed in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, which broke ground last January 17. These facilities are expected to be completed between June and December this year, marking only the first wave of a multi-year rollout.
The emphasis on small-sided pitches reflects modern football development standards.
“We now dissuade children under-13 from playing 11-a-side,” Gutierrez said. “Development should be age-appropriate — five-a-side under-ten years old, then eight-a-side from 11 to 13 years old, before transitioning to full football. FIFA Arenas are perfect for that.”
(Groundbreaking ceremony of the AFF pitch in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last January 17, 2026. PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez, the Davao North Regional Football Association, and the provincial government of Davao del Norte led the groundbreaking.)
PSC to enable
Chairman Gregorio reiterated that the PSC’s guiding framework rests on three pillars: athlete welfare, facilities management, and sports tourism. Within this framework, football has emerged as a priority sport, following the Philippines’ successful hosting of the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup and its growing credibility among international sporting bodies.
“My role is to enable,” Gregorio said. “To enable our national sports associations (NSAs), to enable athletes, and to convince international federations that the Philippines is ready to do its part. This is no longer just about asking for support. Today, NSAs come to us asking how they can work with PSC to help Philippine sports.”
That shift in mindset, Gregorio stressed, has unlocked unprecedented collaboration between government, NSAs, and international partners such as FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
Land access
Central to scaling this infrastructure drive is land access — an area where PSC’s role is critical. Chairman Gregorio emphasized that government-owned land, particularly within state universities and colleges (SUCs), military reservations, and underutilized sports complexes, represents a vast, untapped resource.
“There are close to 300 SUCs nationwide, many with thousands of hectares of land but no university funds to develop sports facilities,” Gregorio said. “This is where government-to-government collaboration works. PSC enables, NSAs endorse, and LGUs support. That’s how regional training hubs are built — not politically, but strategically.”
Baguio City emerged as a key example, with PSC confirming plans to open a world-class football pitch at the Teachers’ Camp following the completion of track renovations. The facility is envisioned as a high-altitude regional training hub for football, complementing existing national centers in New Clark City in Tarlac and the Philsports Complex in Pasig.
Philsports Arena itself will remain a cornerstone of futsal development, with multiple leagues — inter-city, inter-school, corporate, and collegiate — set to launch in February as the PFF Futsaliga, which is part of the FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup legacy.
‘Football-specific’ RMS
Looking ahead, Gutierrez confirmed that PFF will immediately pursue international funding support for the potential conversion of the Rizal Memorial Stadium (RMS) into a football-specific venue for official international matches, subject to FIFA regulations requiring natural grass.
“Our only real constraint is land,” Gutierrez said. “If the land is there, and the commitment is clear, the infrastructure will follow.”
Both leaders underscored that infrastructure is not an end in itself, but a means to inspire participation, widen access, and build future national team players across all regions, particularly in Mindanao, where several pitches are already underway.
“Let the kids play,” Gregorio concluded, echoing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive. “Don’t just give them a ball. Give them a place to play.”
With strong government backing, growing international confidence, and a clear infrastructure-first strategy, Philippine football enters 2026 positioned to expand its grassroots base — pitch by pitch, community by community.
