TOUGH road ahead, as the Philippine National Women’s Football Team faces an intimidating challenge as they’ve been placed in a stacked Group A for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Set to serve as a key buildup for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Filipinas have been drawn against powerhouse squads: world No. 15 Australia, No. 21 Korea Republic, and No. 68 IR Iran.
The official draw, held Tuesday at Sydney Town Hall, saw head coach Mark Torcaso represent the Philippines. The group stage matches will be played across two cities: Perth and Gold Coast.
All-Out Battle
The Filipinas open their campaign on March 1, 2026, against host nation Australia at Perth Stadium — a blockbuster opener and a major early test.
Australia, known as the Matildas, have convincingly defeated the Philippines in the past, with 4-0 and 8-0 victories during the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers, respectively.
Following their opener, the Filipinas head to Gold Coast for their next two group matches: against South Korea on March 5 and Iran on March 8, both at Gold Coast Stadium.
South Korea has historically been a difficult opponent, defeating the Philippines 2-0 in the 2022 AFC Asian Cup semifinals and 5-1 in the 19th Asian Games.
Iran, on the other hand, presents the most favorable matchup. The Filipinas have a flawless track record against them, with a 6-0 win in the 2014 Asian Cup qualifiers and a 2-0 victory during the 2020 Olympic qualifiers.
The Goal: Make It Count
To reach the knockout stage, the Philippines must finish in the top two of their group or be among the two best third-placed teams overall. The four semifinalists automatically earn a spot in the 2027 World Cup.
But falling in the quarterfinals doesn’t end the journey — those teams will enter a playoff round for two more World Cup slots.
Even teams that fall short in that stage will have a final chance through the inter-confederation play-offs, with one last berth to Brazil on the line.
Meanwhile, the Filipinas will enter the tournament well-prepared as they are scheduled to compete in the MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 ASEAN Women’s Championship, set to take place next week in Phu Tho and Haiphong, Vietnam.
The Philippines will open their campaign against Timor-Leste on August 7, followed by a clash with familiar AFC foe Australia on August 10, and will wrap up the group stage against Myanmar on August 13. All matches are set for 8:00 p.m. (Manila time).
