On Sunday night, the Philippine women’s football team, better known as the Filipinas, defeated Thailand to take home the AFF Women’s Championship victory. The win marks their first international trophy—yet another historic moment for the ladies.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pilipinas WNT ⚽ (@pilipinaswnt)

The Filipinas have been paving the way for Filipino football recently, their monumental feat being their qualification for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

As the team leads up to the pinnacle of the sport, their dominant performance in this tournament is sure to boost their confidence and build the support they need.

Conquering the tournament

Throughout the entire tournament, the Filipinas were not only winning—they were dominating. Three out of their five wins in the group stages were by large margins:

• 7-0 win against Singapore
• 4-0 win against Malaysia
• 4-1 win against Indonesia

And now, the Filipinas can add their 3-0 win against Thailand in the tournament finals to the list.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pilipinas WNT ⚽ (@pilipinaswnt)

Thailand was the only team to go undefeated in the tournament all the way to the finals—they were our only recorded loss in the entire tournament.

But the Filipinas got the redemption they craved last night, giving Thailand their first loss.

The Filipinas scored their first two goals in the first half of the game, and up until the final few minutes, it felt like the ladies would win by two. We would take it.

But of course, Sarina Bolden, the team’s top scorer, had to seal it in with one for the road. In the 89th minute, Sara Eggesvik’s corner kick met Bolden perfectly for her to take goal number three.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HOOPJUNKIE (@hoopjunkie)

The Filipinas brought home the trophy in the same dominant fashion they showed throughout the entire tournament.

The long buildup

Last June, we dialed back ten years and took a look at the state of football in the Philippines. And at that point, the Philippines only had bronzes and a silver from major international competitions.

This infographic made back in June, without any golds, now shows you the history (or shall we say, HERstory) that the Filipinas have made since then. Here are the steps they have taken recently:

• Reached semifinals in AFC Women’s Asia Cup to be the first Filipino team to qualify for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
• Won first SEA Games medal for football since 1985
• Won first international trophy at the AFF Women’s Championship

Over the last ten years, it may have appeared that football in the Philippines was at a stalemate. But the seeds that our players planted with every win, loss, or draw have led up to the victory we celebrate today.

Now on unchartered territory, the queens of Southeast Asia will be moving forward, paving the path for the future of Filipino football.

Banner photo from Pilipinas WNT on Instagram.