The Filipina5 opened its 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup campaign with a tough 6-0 loss to Poland on Friday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
In the tournament’s first match, Argentina also dominated Morocco, 6-0, setting the tone for the evening.
Julia Basta powered Poland’s win over the Philippines, scoring in the 7th and 24th minutes and assisting Natalia Matuszewska’s 19th-minute strike.
Julia Szostak added Poland’s third goal in the 23rd minute, before an own goal by Lanie Ortillo made it 5-0 in the 24th. Klaudia Dyminska sealed the result with a 30th-minute finish.
It was a frustrating night for the hosts, who had chances through Isabella Bandoja, Inday Tolentin, and Bella Flanigan but failed to convert.
Despite the lopsided defeat, Philippines coach Rafa Merino remained optimistic about his squad’s performance.
(C) FIFA
“No emphasis on the score. I thought we played a good game,” stated a translated version of Merino’s comments from Spanish.
“For us, it’s very exciting that the first world championship is in the Philippines and that we’re participating. I think this is going to generate a lot more interest in futsal in the Philippines and help it continue to grow.”
In the earlier match, Argentina cruised to a commanding win over Morocco after breaking through late in the first half. Ana Ontiveros scored the historic first goal of the tournament in the 15th minute, opening the floodgates for the South Americans.
Her strike sparked a rapid four-goal burst, with Agostina Chiesa (16′), Mailen Rivero (17′), and Luciana Natta (18′) all finding the back of the net within minutes. Lara Villaba and Julia Dupuy capped the rout with goals in the 32nd and 35th minutes, respectively.
(C) FIFA
After the loss, Morocco coach Adel Sayeh urged his squad to regroup quickly ahead of their next assignment against the Philippines.
“We didn’t have much experience playing against a team such as Argentina, but the chances in this group are still here,” said Sayeh. “We will forget the first game, and we’ll focus on the next game against the Philippines.
“We know the second game will be very hard also because we’re playing against the host team. As I told you, this group is very hard and we will fight in the end.”
With their opening-day wins, Argentina and Poland climbed to the top of Group A, tied with three points and a plus-6 goal difference. Morocco and the Philippines, meanwhile, dropped to third and fourth after absorbing heavy defeats.
All four teams return to action on Monday at the Philsports Arena. Poland faces Argentina at 6:00 PM, followed by the Philippines vs. Morocco at 8:30 PM.
