Philippines to face Poland in futsal World Cup opener

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The Philippine women’s national futsal team will debut against world number 14 Poland in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup.

The match will take place on November 21, 2025, at 8:30 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Joining the Filipina5 in Group A are Copa America runner-up Argentina, ranked sixth in the world, and Morocco, the Africa Cup of Nations champion ranked 31st.

Argentina and Morocco will open the tournament earlier in the evening at 6 p.m. in the same venue.

The official draw, co-hosted by FIFA and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), was held at the BGC Arts Theater in Taguig on Monday.

PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez emphasized the tournament’s importance for Philippine sports during his opening remarks at the draw.

“The FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup carries deep meaning, not only for futsal but also for the future of women’s football and women’s sports in the Philippines,” Gutierrez said.

“For the young women in the country, futsal is more than a sport. It’s a pathway to play the beautiful game and also achieve an improved quality of life,” he added.

Gutierrez also shared, “We have seen over the years how futsal builds confidence, develops young female leaders, and opens equal opportunities for thousands of girls to compete and excel.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the Philippines for its rapid futsal development in a recorded video message played during the event.

“The speed of football and futsal development in the Philippines is even more impressive, led by PFF President, my friend John Gutierrez, as well as former PFF President and current FIFA Council Member, my friend as well, Mariano Araneta,” Infantino said.

The draw was assisted by Brazilian futsal legend Falcao, Croatian coach Tihana Nemcic Bojic, Philippine football team captain Hali Long, and volleyball star Vanie Gandler.

Gutierrez expressed hope that the tournament will inspire a new generation of young athletes.

“We want you to experience the warmth and energy of the nation united in its love for futsal,” he said.

“In that spirit, we hope that it will, in return, inspire a generation of young girls as part of the legacy of this tournament,” he added.

Filipina5 head coach Rafa Merino said preparations are underway with upcoming training camps and friendlies, including a camp in Japan with 23 players.

Merino acknowledged the strength of Group A opponents, calling them “really strong teams” with extensive tournament experience.

“It’s going to be very difficult. They’re physically very strong, so yeah, it’s going to be very tough,” Merino said.

However, he assured fans that the team will embrace the challenge.

“But we’ll have a lot of fun coming up,” he said.

“We want to be competitive, we want to make good games, we have to focus on ourselves,” Merino added.

The Filipina5, while automatic World Cup qualifiers as hosts, also earned a historic berth at the AFC Futsal Women’s Asian Cup after victories against Turkmenistan and Kuwait and a close 0-1 loss to two-time champion Iran.

Group Stage Draw:

• Group A:Philippines, Poland, Morocco, Argentina
• Group B:Spain, Thailand, Colombia, Canada
• Group C:Portugal, Tanzania, Japan, New Zealand
• Group D:Brazil, Iran, Italy, Panama