Introduction to Philippine football
Football has a long and rich history in the Philippines, dating back to its introduction in the late 19th century. The sport quickly gained popularity among the local population, and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), founded in 1907, is one of the oldest governing bodies in Asian football. Despite facing some unique challenges throughout the 20th century, football’s popularity in the country has seen a resurgence in recent years, and the sport continues to grow, attracting a passionate fan base and nurturing local talent.
A uniquely challenging environment
Governing football in an archipelago consisting of over 7,000 islands and islets presents some unique organisational challenges for the PFF in terms of competition organisation, infrastructure access and talent identification. Additionally, football faces strong competition for fans, participants and media attention from other sports, most notably basketball and combat sports, which continue to produce world-renowned champions.
Despite this unique context, football continues to gain traction in the Philippines. Recent highlights in the rise of Philippine football include:
the establishment of a men’s professional football league (the Philippines Football League (PFL)) in 2017;
the men’s national team’s first qualification for the AFC Asian Cup in 2019; and
the women’s national team’s first qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2023.
Building on these successes, the PFF has focused on strengthening the domestic youth football structures, investing in the development and identification of home-grown youth talent from grassroots to youth national-team level.
In addition to making significant strides on the pitch, the PFF has made enhancing its governance structures a priority. In 2022, the association comprehensively reformed its Statutes to bring them in line with the FIFA Statutes issued from 2016 onwards, which enacted significant changes to the global governing body’s governance structure, including term limits, the separation of political and management functions, and enhanced committee efficiency.
The reform reflects the PFF’s commitment to enhancing transparency, accountability and efficiency and to ensuring improved representation and gender inclusivity at all levels of the organisation. The aim of this document is to provide a comprehensive overview of the PFF’s governance structures, together with the reforms and initiatives that it has implemented.
Figure 1: map of the Philippines
Summary of PFF-organised competitions:
National club championships (professional and amateur)
National women’s club championships (professional and amateur)
National U-23 championships
National youth tournaments
National futsal and beach soccer tournaments and football festivals