The Football teams representing the Philippines for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games 2025 in Thailand are ready to meet their opponents in the Group Stage.
What are their chances of winning?
Sandro Reyes Leads U-23 Team
The 22 year old Sandro Reyes, who not only have made an immense positive impact in the U-23 team but also in the Seniors Men’s Team, will look to lead the charge for the Philippine Men’s National Football Team.
The PMNFT U-23 squad is aiming to improve upon its winless showing from two years ago. The squad has made significant progress in 2025, highlighted by a semifinal appearance at the ASEAN U23 Championship Mandiri Cup in July wherein they ended up with a 4th place and a 2 Wins – 1 Draw record in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers last September.
For the SEA Games, the team was drawn into Group C which is considered one of the toughest brackets as they get to be grouped alongside defending champions Indonesia, former semifinalist Myanmar, and Singapore.
Only the top team from each group and the best second-placed side will progress to the semifinals, placing added pressure on the young Azkals to maintain their current momentum.
Filipinas Meets Familiar Foes of 2023
The Philippine Women’s National Football Team, known as the Filipinas, are set for a challenging yet familiar campaign as they were drawn in Group B alongside Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia.
Coincidentally, this is the same group they faced in the 2023 Phnom Penh Games.
Vietnam and Myanmar are the reigning gold and silver medalists, respectively, while the Filipinas aim to reclaim their 2021 bronze-medal glory. In the 2023 SEA Games, the Philippines narrowly missed a semifinal berth, finishing in a three-way tie for first in Group A but missing out on goal difference. Despite the heartbreak, the Filipinas achieved a highlight victory by becoming the only team to defeat Vietnam in that tournament.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals.
In preparation for the SEA Games and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the Filipinas will hold a 10-day training camp starting October 20. Their buildup will include the GoTyme MatchDay exhibition match against Uzbekistan on October 29 at 7:00 PM at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which serves as their final tune-up before heading to Thailand.
Filipina5 Return to SEA Games Futsal After 14 Years
Making a long-awaited comeback, the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team (Filipina5) will compete in the SEA Games for the first time since 2011.
Drawn into Group A, they will face defending gold medalist Thailand and bronze medalist Malaysia, both regional powerhouses.
The Filipina5 have built up an active and competitive year on the international stage. The squad started 2025 strong by qualifying for the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup with seven points in January’s qualifiers, followed by an 11th-place finish in the final tournament in May, a campaign that included a narrow 0-1 loss to defending champion Iran.
They continued their preparations with a 10-day training camp in Japan in September, where they faced the Asian champions Japan in two friendly matches.
Their SEA Games appearance will follow their participation in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup (FFWWC), which will take place at the Philsports Arena in Pasig starting November 21, featuring group-stage clashes with Poland, Argentina, and Morocco.
Full Support from the PFF President
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez expressed confidence in the teams’ preparations, noting the progress each has made throughout a busy 2025 season.
“Our three national teams are coming off a busy and successful 2025, and the coaches and team management have been working hard in preparing them for ASEAN’s crown jewel–the SEA Games,” Gutierrez said.
“Despite our busy schedule with the upcoming FFWWC, GoTyme MatchDay, PMNT’s game against Maldives, and PMNT U17’s Asian Cup qualis, PFF is readying our SEA Games squads to ensure optimal performance come December,” he added.
The football tournaments will kick off on December 3, a week before the Games’ opening ceremony, while the futsal events begin on December 12. Venues will be located across Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla.
Chances of Winning? Slim But Better than None
All 3 Philippine football teams are playing against either reigning gold medalist or currently high in Asian team rankings.
Their chances of winning are definitely slim but it’s a lot better than 0 hopes at all.
Sandro Reyes of the U-23 PMNFT squad can put up a great fight against all odds. Hali Long and the rest of Filipinas can win games and have shown in the MSIG Serenity Cup last August that they can dominate against stronger opponents.
While the Filipina5 Futsal team may face the biggest challenge of all, they’ve shown in the past that they can play their hearts out just to make the match interesting.
So what can we expect in the Southeast Asian Games football this December? 3 Philippine teams are out there hungry for glory and pride.
