'Historic and worth remembering': PH women's football team earns praises from prominent figures, sports fans after World Cup exit
Praises and forward-looking messages poured in for the Philippine women's national football team following its FIFA Women's World Cup exit last July 30.
The Filipinas lost to Norway 6-0, but its historic appearance on the international football stage is already more than enough for politicians, sports figures, and fellow countrymen in general.
Former vice president Leni Robredo on X (Twitter) thanked the national team for their efforts.
"You made us all proud, Filipinas! Maraming salamat for showing us what’s possible," Robredo said.
Sen. Pia Cayetano in a Facebook post said that while the team's run may have ended, its journey to reach greater heights has just started.
Cayetano noted how the squad was lowest ranked in Group A at No. 46, yet still gained respect and recognition after its historic first goal and win against co-host New Zealand.
"As an athlete, I know games don’t always go the way we plan," said Cayetano. "But the Filipinas fought ‘til the very end, and for sure, learned many lessons along the way."
"This team has paved the way for our future players, both boys and girls, to play in the international arena," she added.
For Philippine Olympic Committee President Bambol Tolentino, it was still a "good job" for the Filipinas despite the hammering by Norway.
“Qualifying in the World Cup is historic and an accomplishment itself,” Tolentino said while watching the match's live coverage in Tagaytay. “Scoring a goal and beating the co-host made the campaign even more historic and worth remembering.”
He's looking forward to the team's strong showing at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in China this September.
The Philippine Football Federation, meanwhile, called the team's journey "magical."
"Thank you for bringing the Philippine Flag on the FIFA Women's World Cup stage! This is just the beginning," the federation said on X.
Sports broadcaster Paolo Del Rosario acknowledged that Norway played with the quality "expected of them."
"The Filipinas weren’t expected to go far in the World Cup, but the impact they left is real," Rosario tweeted. "They gave life to football in the Philippines again."
In a tweet, social media user @llongboan noted that the Philippines has "won at many levels in our first World Cup."
"Thank you, #Filipinas, for bringing us to the World Cup, for showing the strength of the diaspora in sports & for rekindling our national pride at a challenging time in our history," she wrote, adding the hashtags #MabuhayFilipinas #LabanFilipinas.
Noting how proud they are of the Filipinas, X user @drogbaaaa_ expressed their hope that "this is a springboard for better things."
"2027. We'll be back," the user said, pertaining to the next FIFA Women's World Cup installment.
