Jaehwa Bernardo

Former Philippine Women's National Football Team Camille Rodriguez and Inna Palacios. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News

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Ex-Filipinas members say return to FIFA Women's World Cup a 'statement' of team's growth

Paige Javier

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1774162603303viber_image_2026-03-22_14-41-31-699.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Former Philippine Women&#x27;s National Football Team Camille Rodriguez and Inna Palacios. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News"/>Former Philippine Women&#x27;s National Football Team Camille Rodriguez and Inna Palacios. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA — The Philippine women&#x27;s national football team qualified for a second straight edition of the FIFA Women&#x27;s World Cup -- a feat seen to inspire a new generation of athletes while also showcasing the country&#x27;s growth in the sport.The Filipinas booked their spot in the global showcase after beating Uzbekistan 2-0 in the AFC Women&#x27;s Asian Cup play-in on Thursday in Gold Coast, Australia.  <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/3/19/filipinas-book-second-straight-world-cup-appearance-with-rout-of-uzbekistan-1335">READ: Filipinas book second straight World Cup appearance with rout of Uzbekistan</a></div>Former Filipinas team captain Inna Palacios and Camille Rodriguez are beyond proud of the team&#x27;s return to the world stage, following their debut in the 2023 edition.Palacios and Rodriguez were part of the Filipinas squad when they qualified in 2022.  &quot;So incredibly overjoyed and so very proud. You know we qualified four years ago, thinking this was a dream. And now, the Filipinas, our teammates were able to do it again. So it&#x27;s more than just a win. It&#x27;s a statement that we belong on the world stage,&quot; Rodriguez told reporters at the All-Women in Sports Awards.&quot;Like super proud that we&#x27;re able to do it the second time. I think, no I know we&#x27;re the only Southeast Asian team to do it back to back. And I think that&#x27;s a big enough statement that we&#x27;re not just there to compete, we&#x27;re there to hopefully win someday. So very proud of everyone,&quot; Palacios added.For the longtime Filipinas goalkeeper, the team&#x27;s qualification shows the growth of Philippine football and the need for continuous support.  &quot;I think this is where the investments are coming in and you can see the fruits of our labor. So I hope we continue investing in women in sports, especially football, because now we can say it&#x27;s not a one-time thing. I&#x27;m sure they can do it again after this. So we just continue building from here,&quot; she said.The Filipinas currently has a mix of veterans and young players, with the likes of 18-year-old Jael-Marie Guy showing maturity and composure on the big stage.  &quot;I think my big why was to pave the way for the future generation. That&#x27;s the why of the team. And I think we were able to do that. To see the younger generation step and perform in such a big stage of football. I think that shows that they have something to strive for. And to see them do that, that&#x27;s all I could ask,&quot; Palacios shared.&quot;That&#x27;s why we do what we do, right? So, I think we&#x27;re able to do our jobs properly if that&#x27;s the case. So, I&#x27;m very grateful to see the young ones carry the flag and carry it with a lot of pride,&quot; she added.As for Rodriguez, she said the journey to the back-to-back historic qualification to the World Cup started not just four years but a decade ago.&quot;So, this is a fruit of the labor of many teammates, seniors, coaches who really did go before us. So, this is a statement to all of them, a thank you to all of them. And a message also that it&#x27;s always paving it forward, paying it forward also,&quot; she said.&quot;And that Filipino footballers belong on the world stage, kaya natin. We believe that from the start, we can do it. And anyone who&#x27;s donned the flag from the start, always do it for more than ourselves. And yeah, 20 years in the game, it&#x27;s paying off and more,&quot; the Kaya FC player explained.Palacios and Rodriguez received the Athletes of the Year for 2025 award on behalf of the Filipinas at the All-Women in Sports Awards held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.Palacios likewise was feted with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her achievements and contributions to football, capped off by the Filipinas&#x27; historic gold at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippine Women's National Football Team qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup for the second-straight edition, inspiring a new generation of athletes and showcasing Philippine football.

The Philippine Women's National Football Team qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup for the second-straight edition, inspiring a new generation of athletes and showcasing Philippine football.

For former nat'l team players, Filipinas' return to World Cup a 'statement' of team's growth

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For former nat'l team players, Filipinas' return to World Cup a 'statement' of team's growth

Paige Javier,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 22, 2026 03:22 PM PHT

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Updated March 23, 2026 01:34 PM PHT

Read More:

football

FIFA Women's World Cup

Filipinas

Inna Palacios

Camille Rodriguez

abssports

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