Cuadrat sees 2026 ASEAN Championship as test of PH football progress

The Philippines was drawn in Group B of the 2026 ASEAN Championship, alongside last edition's runner-up Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos. (Photo: ASEAN Hyundai Cup)

Showcasing growth will be the key focus for the Philippine men's national football team in the 2026 ASEAN Championship, also known as the Hyundai Cup, head coach Carles Cuadrat said.

The Philippines will build on the momentum of its impressive run in the 2024 edition, when it narrowly missed a first-ever finals appearance.

“Hyundai Cup 2026 will be a great opportunity to continue showing the progression that Philippine football is making in recent times,” said Cuadrat, as quoted by the Philippine Football Federation in a media release.

Two years ago, the Philippines returned to the semifinals for the first time since 2018 under the guidance of Spanish mentor Albert Capellas.

While the nationals eventually lost to seven-time champion Thailand on aggregate, 4-3, they still made the country proud after ending a 52-year winless streak against the War Elephants.

Kike Linares scored the game-winning header deep into the second-half stoppage in the Philippines' 2-1 victory in the first leg at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

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This time, the nationals could avenge their heartbreaking loss to the Thais as early as in the group stages after being drawn together in Group B, alongside Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos. The official draw was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 15.

“Although we all know how difficult it will be to achieve one of the first two places, we are also aware that we are a very competitive team that we can be fighting for classification until the last game as happened in the last edition 2024, where after three draws the team managed to beat Indonesia away and move on to the next phase,” said Cuadrat.

Only the top two teams in the group will reach the semifinals — once unfamiliar territory for the Philippines.

The Filipino booters failed to advance from the group stages since the inaugural ASEAN Championship, formerly known as the ASEAN Football Federation Championship, in 1996. 

Tides later turned around for the then-called “Azkals” — derived from Filipino words “asong kalye” or street dogs — during the 2010 edition. 

A pair of goals from Phil Younghusband and Chris Greatwich helped the Philippines pull off the tournament's biggest upset with a 2-0 win against that time's defending champion Vietnam for their first semifinal appearance ever. 

Popularly dubbed the “Miracle of Hanoi” by Filipino fans, the match is widely regarded as the start of the country’s football resurgence. Since then, the Philippines has reached the semifinals in five of the last eight editions.

The Philippines has competed internationally since 1913 but endured a prolonged decline beginning in the late 1950s because of limited funding, weak organizational structures, and minimal media coverage.

“This team has already shown in the past that we can achieve these challenges, and in the ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup 2026, we will have together another opportunity to demonstrate our growth as a football nation,” said Cuadrat.

The 2026 ASEAN Championship will officially kick off on July 24.