The Philippine women’s football team has moved up to an all-time high in the FIFA rankings.
As disclosed on Friday, the Filipinas jumped four slots to No. 49 in the world, marking the first time the Philippine women’s football program has breached the Top 50.
The Filipinas also moved to ninth place among the Asian Football Confederation member nations, jumping two spots in Asia and also marking the first time the Philippines is a Top 10 Asian women’s football team.
“The Philippine Football Federation is proud of the achievement of the Philippine Women’s National Team, which recorded its highest FIFA ranking of No. 49 earlier today. It is a historic achievement that underlines the importance of collaboration between the PFF, team management, and coaching staff, and the dedication, discipline, and sacrifice of the players,” the PFF said in a statement moments after the ranking was revealed.
“Indeed, the rise of the Filipinas shows that belief, professionalism, structure, organization and technical knowledge, and commitment of players can lead us in the right direction,” it added.
Meanwhile, Filipinas head coach Alen Stajcic said the feat is another amazing milestone for the women’s football team on its journey to the FIFA Women’s World Cup. “(This is) another record for the country and further objective confirmation that we are heading in the right direction,” he said.
Factoring in the Filipinas’ rise into the Top 50 in the world and Top 10 in Asia is the slide in rakning of Uzbekistan and North Korea.
Uzbekistan fell to No. 50 in the world and No. 10 in Asia, while North Korea, which in the previous ranking was No. 10 in the world, has been taken out of the world rankings mainly due to inactivity.
The PFF expressed hope the Filipinas’ latest rise in the FIFA rankings would inspire the next generation of athletes to strive more in their quest for glory.
“We hope that the rest of the country, especially the sporting youth, takes inspiration from the Filipinas and their achievements. These are exciting times and the PFF prays that the Filipino nation continues supporting the Filipinas at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July 2023,” the PFF said. (With PNA)