Basketball is the undisputed king of Philippine sports and culture, but football continues a quiet and steady grassroots resurgence.
Football has a long and rich history in the Philippines, dating back to the 1890s, when the British introduced the sport to the Spanish and European settlers living on the islands.
Decades later, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) officially included football as one of the competition games during its first season (1938-1939), along with basketball, baseball, women’s volleyball, swimming and athletics.
The University of the Philippines (UP) at that time bagged three titles (baseball, volleyball, athletics). University of Santo Tomas (UST) topped in men’s football and swimming, while Far Eastern University (FEU) triumphed in basketball.
The women’s football was included in Season 58 (1995-98) with De La Salle University (DLSU) as champion, while Boys’ football became a regular sport in Season 72 (2009-10), which was won by Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU).
Starting with UAAP Season 87, the men’s and women’s collegiate tournaments were shifted to the first semester, with the boys’ tournament remaining in the second semester.
UP Fighting Maroons were champions 21 times: 20 in men’s division and once in women’s.
The seasons wherein UP Men’s Football team emerged as champions include Seasons 4 (1941-42), 21 (1958-59), 36 to 40 (1973-78), 45 (1982-83), 46 (1983-84), 49 (1986-87), 52 (1989-90), 63 to 64 (2000-02), 71 (2008-09), 73 (2010-11), 74 (2011-12), 78 (2015-16), 80 (2017-18), 86 (2023-24) and 88 (2025-26). The Women’s team won in 78 (2015-16).
UP won its first double crown in Season 78 (2015-16), winning in the Men’s and Women’s.
UP had a winning streak in seasons 36 to 40 (1973-78) and 63 to 64 (2000-02).
UP tied with UST in Seasons 4 (1941-42), 21 (1958-59), 36 (1973-74), 38 (1975-76), and 45 (1982-83).
The UP men’s football team captured its first victory in Season 4 (1941-42) as a tie with UST, while it had its 20th title in Season 88 (2025-26) when it defeated the FEU Tamaraws 2-1 in extra time on February 23, 2026, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
I was in third year college in UP when the UP men’s team won its 11th title in February 1990 against AdMU. Coincidentally, the team was called Maroon XI since they were composed of 11 members, including goalie Louie Cruz. A Philippine Collegian article narrated that ‘the Maroon XI captured the football crown as they made swallows of the AdMU Blue Eagles, 2-0, amid a predominantly cheering UP crowd at the UST field.’
UST had the highest number of wins along with FEU at 39 each.
UST’s 39 titles include 36 in men’s, 2 in women’s and 1 in boys.
FEU’s 39 titles are 12 in men’s,14 in women’s and 13 in boys.
DLSU has 17 titles with 5 in men’s, 11 in women’s and 11 in boys.
AdMU has 10 with 8 in men’s and 2 in boys.
University of the East (UE) has 4 in men’s.
National University ( NU) has 1 in men’s.
Adamson University (AdU) has none so far.
The UAAP serves as a vital domestic pipeline for the Philippine national football teams.
While the senior men’s national team and the women’s national team (the Filipinas) heavily recruit Filipino-heritage players from overseas, homegrown talent honed in the UAAP consistently populates the youth national teams and earns call-ups to senior pools.
Football in the Philippines is traditionally a secondary sport compared to basketball, but it is experiencing a steady rise in popularity and fan engagement.
Driven by the performances of national teams, expanding media interest, and a major national focus on developing grassroots facilities, the game is fast capturing the public’s attention.
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) officially retired the famous ‘Azkals’ nickname in 2024 to usher in a fresh era for the national team brand, though the name remains highly iconic among fans.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) pledged an initial P5 million to support the country’s national women’s football team, the Filipinas, specifically in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia.
The financial assistance follows a recent Supreme Court ruling directing PAGCOR and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to remit a portion of their income for the funding of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The SC said that PAGCOR failed to comply with the funding requirements under Section 26 of RA 6847, or the law creating the PSC, specifically the automatic remittance of 5% of PAGCOR’s gross income to the PSC for the National Sports Development Fund. The SC likewise ruled that PCSO failed to remit 30 percent representing the charity fund of the proceeds of six sweepstakes or lottery draws per year since 2006.
The 2026 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival featured the full-length feature film ‘Hand of God’ that centers on football as a bridge between an army lieutenant and children in a conflict-scarred village.
Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908-8665786.