By Gil Moriones
MANILA—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. mentioned the fame and relevance of the Philippine Women's National Football Team, also known as the Filipinas, in his prayers for the overall improvement of sports in the country during the delivery of his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Monday.
"Sa halimbawa ng Filipinas women’s football team, sana rin ay mas sumikat pa ang football sa ating bansa at marami ang maglaro," the chief executive wished.
The Filipinas earned their elusive SEA Games gold medal in the 2025 SEA Games, followed by their second straight appearance in the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil next year.
Now, they will try to beat their quarterfinal finish at the last Asian Games in their approaching Aichi-Nagoya Games, being drawn to 9-time Asian champions China, Hong Kong, and Uzbekistan.
Meanwhile, Marcos expressed his hope that the men's team will replicate the Filipinas' feat and make it to the FIFA World Cup in the future.
"Balang araw, baka makasali na ang Pilipinas sa World Cup," said Marcos, whose recent SONA came one week after the 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded with Spain's successful conquest of their second championship after beating Argentina in the final.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will become a special one as it celebrates the centennial anniversary of the quadrennial event.
The newly-crowned champs, along with Portugal and Morocco, are designated as hosts, with special matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay as a tribute to where the inaugural matches of the FIFA World Cup's first edition in 1930 were held.
The PMNFT's qualifying chances could get a boost, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino reportedly said that they are considering a possible expansion to 64 teams from the current 48.
Marcos also cited the recent success of Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala, and he hopes that her climb to a bona fide WTA Tour title contender would inspire Filipinos to play the sport too.
"Sa nag-uumapaw nating suporta kay Alex Eala, sana ay marami ang maengganyo para matuto at maglaro hindi lamang ng tennis kundi ng iba pang sport," Marcos further said.
He also reiterated that the national government's support for Philippine sports has tripled from before.
"Mahalaga rin sa atin ang sports. Itinaas natin nang triple ang suporta natin dito. Hindi lamang dahil sa aliw na hatid nito, kundi para sa kalusugan," Marcos further said.
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