Filipinas’ Carpio: Team Unity Key to 2027 Women’s World Cup Success

Manila, Philippines – Filipinas forward Alessandrea Carpio emphasized the importance of team cohesion as the national women’s football team prepares for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, speaking at Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.

“Play together,” Carpio, 24, stated. “That’s why we are just waiting for the opportunity to come together.” The Filipinas qualified for their second consecutive World Cup appearance just last week, a feat Carpio called “surreal.”

This World Cup will be Carpio’s first, having joined the national team in 2024. The tournament, featuring the top 32 nations in women’s football, is scheduled for June of next year in Brazil. The team is coming off a campaign at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, where they faced Australia, South Korea, Iran, Japan, and Uzbekistan. While they experienced losses against Australia, South Korea, and Japan, a crucial victory over Iran paved the way for a decisive 2-0 win against Uzbekistan, securing their return to the World Cup stage.

“It’s such a surreal feeling for the Philippines to qualify to another World Cup. I’m very, very proud of all the work the team put in,” Carpio added.

Philippine Football Federation media officer Ingrid Mendoza, who accompanied Carpio at the forum, indicated the team is planning a series of international friendly matches, with the possibility of hosting some games domestically, in preparation for the Nagoya Asian Games in October. The forum was presented by San Miguel Corporation, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and ArenaPlus.

The Filipinas’ qualification follows a historic run in the 2023 World Cup, where they achieved a landmark 1-0 victory over host nation Novel Zealand, marking their first-ever World Cup goal.

Head coach Mark Torcaso reportedly delivered a message to the team prior to their departure following qualification: “Work doesn’t stop,” according to Carpio. Players were instructed to prioritize rest and maintain their individual fitness levels until they can reconvene as a team.