FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Philippine Football President John Gutierrez to discuss the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023™ and to anticipate the excitement of the first ever FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup™ in 2025 which will be held in the Philippines.

They also looked forward to the opening of a modern Philippine Football Federation headquarters which will be opened later this year, and which has been funded by FIFA Forward.

“It was wonderful to once again see my friend and Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President, John Gutierrez, and be able to welcome him to the FIFA office in Paris,” said the FIFA President.

“When he was elected last year, he vowed “Walang maiiwan!” - No one will be left behind! - and he has certainly taken his team at the Philippine Football Federation and the whole Filipino football family with him through his great work so far.

“I told President Gutierrez that I am delighted to see that the historic achievement of the women’s national team qualifying for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 will be built upon when the Philippines host the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup in 2025, maintaining their impressive momentum in developing football within their beautiful country.

“The Philippines will be fantastic hosts, and I have every confidence that President Gutierrez and everyone at the PFF will make it a tournament to remember.

“Finally, I am pleased to acknowledge the FIFA Forward Programme's contribution to the construction of the new PFF headquarters, which will also serve as a home for the Philippines national teams.”

Mr Gutierrez also referenced his plan to give every aspiring footballer in the archipelago’s 114 million population the chance to fulfil their potential. His ambition is to drive the popularity of football in order that it matches basketball, currently the most popular sport in the country, with the inaugural FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup™ in 2025 significant in encouraging further interest in the game.

“It’s truly an honour to be hosting the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup,” said Mr Gutierrez. “I think this will be the way to put the Philippines on the football world map. It's going to be big. As you know, we are primarily a basketball-loving country, but this event would certainly boost the interest of our kids to get into football as an alternative to basketball. “We've got enough kids. We're 114 million strong as a population and we're just looking forward to having this hosting as a catalyst to get us over the hump into getting, again, our kids to enjoy football, not just as a recreational sport, but as a sport that you really want to be in as a professional and, obviously, to represent your country in. So, it's going to be big.”

Currently 39th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, Philippines made their debut at last year's FIFA Women’s World Cup™ as they secured a first victory when they defeated co-hosts New Zealand.

“That was a dream come true, hearing your national anthem in a stadium where you adore the sport,” said the PFF President. “It has done wonders for the interest in the country. It has shown our kids, our young footballers who aspire to get to the biggest stage that it's possible. “Our girls showed them and opened the doors for them. So, yes, every time somebody reminds me of that moment, it's just something that we're really passionate about and we look to replicate in the next (FIFA) World Cups.”

FIFA Forward had an instrumental role in the growth of the game with the new PFF modern headquarters in Carmona funded by the initiative. Based around 40 kilometres away from the capital Manila, sits on 4,231-square metres of land that was procured through the AFC President’s Infrastructure Initiative Programme in 2020. It is located within walking distance of the national training centre – an area that has a full-sized FIFA-funded artificial pitch and two mini-pitches – enabling the PFF to house its core football facilities close together in a single location.

“We discussed the Philippine Football Federation headquarters, that was awarded to us by FIFA,” said Mr Gutierrez. “It should be finished around the end of October, and I've invited the (FIFA) President to come inaugurate it for us.”