Top women futsal teams get time to shine as Philippines hosts maiden World Cup

fred 2025-11-21

MANILA, Philippines — Stalwarts of football’s fast-paced indoor variant look to seize the moment in the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup firing off Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Sixteen of the globe’s finest teams are in town to fight it out for the first-ever World Cup trophy for women’s futsal.

Among the aspirants are the Philippine squad “Filipina5,” who are determined to recapture the magic of their Filipinas sisters in the 11-a-side format at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“I know it’s a moment bigger than myself. It’s for my family, for every Filipino who dreams, and for our country,” said Filipina5 forward Dionesia Tolentin. “As a Filipina, it would be such an honor to walk out in our national colors and hear our anthem at the World Cup.”

Action in futsal showpiece unwraps with an explosive double-header in Group A. World No. 6 Argentina and 31st-ranked Morocco kick things off at 6 p.m. followed by the opening ceremony at 8 p.m. to be graced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and other dignitaries.

Then at 8:30 p.m., it’s the turn of host Philippines, ranked 63rd, to hit the court against No. 14 Poland.

Three mainstays of the Filipinas team that scored a historic 1-0 victory over host New Zealand in the FIFA WWC in Wellington — Jaclyn Sawicki, Katrina Guillou and Isabella Flanigan — are reinforcing the Filipina5, who primed up for the futsal worlds with a training camp and friendlies in Spain.

Sports executives are upbeat about the country’s performance — as hosts and competitors.

“We’re ready. One thing’s for sure, we belong here. We’re not going out there just to be able to compete; we’re going out there to win,” said Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez.

“I have a strong feeling that we will win because on home court the Filipino heart beats faster. That is the magic of sports tourism,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio. “We thank FIFA for this historic partnership and the Department of Tourism for believing in sports as a window for the world to see the Philippines.”