The men’s FIFA World Cup trophy has been handed out. Spain are champions. Now, the football world turns its attention to the women’s edition—and for the Philippines, the timing could not be better.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup heads to Brazil next summer, and the Filipinas will be there. The Philippines has qualified for a second consecutive appearance in the tournament, becoming one of only two Southeast Asian nations to reach back-to-back Women’s World Cups. Three years ago in Australia, the Filipinas made their historic debut—scoring the country’s first-ever Women’s World Cup goal and recording its first victory. Now they get to do it again, this time on South American soil.
This only means one thing: Filipino football fans who spent the past six weeks watching the men’s tournament from the outside have something personal to look forward to.
FIFA Women’s World Cup Takes Shape
The field for Brazil 2027 is taking shape. Fourteen teams have already secured their berths, with Brazil holding an automatic spot as host. Despite being one of the most storied names in world football, Brazil has never won the women’s tournament. The host nation will carry enormous pressure and enormous expectation from its home crowd.
Spain arrive as defending champions. The Spanish women topped England 1-0 in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final in Sydney, powered by a squad that included Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas alongside young star Salma Paralluelo. Spain is currently the top-ranked women’s team in the world—and the fact that the men just won the World Cup on Sunday only adds to the sense that Spanish football is experiencing a golden era across both programmes.
Rodri, fresh from helping the men claim the trophy, offered perhaps the most telling endorsement of where women’s football in Spain stands. In a television interview following the men’s final, he paid Bonmati the ultimate compliment: “I’m trying to see if I can get to her level.”
The United States, ranked second in the world and a four-time World Cup champion, will be among the main challengers. The Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 in 2023 by Sweden—a result that still stings—and will be using the months ahead to rebuild and refocus. The US hosts Spain in two friendly matches in October, serving as preparation for CONCACAF qualifying beginning in late November in Texas.
“We know Spain is an amazing team, and I think we’re just really looking forward to having this prep,” said US midfielder Lily Yohannes. “Especially before qualifying. Playing these players, I played against them in the Champions League, and I know how great they are.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Promises to Be Big
For Brazil’s hosting ambitions, the expectation is nothing short of a full-stadium, full-country celebration. Aline Pellegrino, former Brazil defender and now executive director of legacy and stakeholder affairs for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil, laid out what the tournament is meant to represent beyond the football itself.
“Some time ago the opportunities for men and women were not equal. But that’s changing. This World Cup has tremendous potential to make that change truly happen,” Pellegrino said. “So there’s a great deal of excitement and expectation that we’ll have the best possible atmosphere in our stadiums. FIFA, together with the federal government and the host cities, have been working very hard to ensure that we’ll have full stadiums and that everything runs as efficiently as possible.”
Philippine football fans spent six weeks watching the men’s World Cup as spectators. Next summer in Brazil, they will have a team to cheer for in the Filipinas, the country’s very own.
Yes, the Filipinas are back. And this time, they know what it feels like to be there.
