Torcaso maps global buildup for Filipinas’ 2027 World Cup

Philippine women’s national football team head coach Mark Torcaso is mapping out a four-continent preparation campaign designed to have the Filipinas fully ready for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, where they hope to improve on their 2023 debut and advance beyond the group stage.

The Filipinas have built momentum through a series of milestones, including the Philippines’ historic first Southeast Asian Games football gold medal in 2025 and their campaign in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup against some of the continent’s top teams.

That Asian Cup campaign ultimately secured the Filipinas a second consecutive World Cup appearance after they defeated Uzbekistan, 2-0, in a qualification playoff in March.

The milestones have given Torcaso and his coaching staff a clearer assessment of the squad as preparations intensify for Brazil, which will host the 32-team World Cup from June 24 to July 25, 2027.

Following the demanding SEA Games and AFC Women’s Asian Cup campaigns, the Filipinas regrouped in San Diego to recalibrate and begin the next stage of their preparations.

Torcaso, who is in the Philippines this week to scout homegrown talent, said the Philippine Football Federation’s “full support” has been crucial in developing a program designed to expose the team to different styles and levels of opposition before the World Cup.

PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez said the federation remains committed to the preparation framework established by Torcaso.

“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 coach continued the preparation work with a San Diego training camp last month, using the gathering to reassess the player pool and identify other candidates who could become part of the World Cup squad.

The Filipinas faced club sides San Diego Wave and Albion San Diego during the camp, which featured a 30-player pool composed of 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.

Torcaso’s Manila visit was timed to coincide with the opening of the PFF Women’s League this weekend, giving him an opportunity to reconnect with Philippine-based players.

The coach also intends to personally monitor Filipina players competing elsewhere in Southeast Asia and beyond, including those playing in leagues 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.

The 2026 Asian Games will be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with the event officially running from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.

Because the tournament falls outside a FIFA international window, the Filipinas are expected to have limited access to their foreign-based professionals, but Torcaso still views the competition as an important testing 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 said the Filipinas plan to use every remaining FIFA international window before June 2027 as part of the buildup to their second consecutive appearance on football’s biggest stage.

The schedule includes a trip to South America in October, followed by matches against Asia-Oceania opposition to close 2026.

The Filipinas are also scheduled to compete in the Pinatar Cup in Spain in February 2027.

Their campaign will continue with the 2028 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April 2027, which will feature a home-and-away format.

The final stage of preparations will be an extended four-to-six-week camp in Brazil before the World Cup.

Torcaso credited the PFF for responding to his requests for particular opponents and training environments as the coaching staff seeks to prepare the Filipinas for the range of challenges they could face in Brazil.

“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.

The 2027 tournament will mark another opportunity for the Philippines to build on its historic World Cup debut in 2023, when the Filipinas recorded the country’s first victory at the competition by defeating co-host New Zealand, 1-0, before exiting in the group stage.

Torcaso ended his message by appealing to Filipina supporters around the world, recalling the atmosphere surrounding the team during its 2025 SEA Games campaign in Chonburi, Thailand, where the national side went on to win the country’s first SEA Games football gold medal.

“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.”