Cebu City willing to host FIFA Women’s Cup | The Freeman

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City is set to host another major sports event as the Philippines won the bid to host the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup 2025 in November of next year.

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Anthony Gutierrez revealed that the Cebuanos’ love for the sport served as the number one factor in their host selection.

“I think it’s the healthy football community that we have (and) the trajectory in which our women’s futsal is going up… I think FIFA is always looking at diversity to get football in any form across the world (and) to every nation,” Gutierrez said.

“Yung football community dito napaka-healthy. Kung hindi niyo alam, yung huling U19 National Tournament, ang nag-champion (ay mula sa) Cebu… The Central Visayas Regional Football Association is one of the biggest and best (and) most organized RFA (Regional Football Association) in the country,” he added.

Gutierrez said the country is fortunate to be entrusted by FIFA in hosting the said sporting event after winning the bid among six bidders including Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil.

“Napakaswerte natin, mga Pilipino, na nabiyayaan tayo nitong napakalaking proyekto na i-host yung World Cup dito sa Pilipinas,” he said.

Gutierrez said the most-awaited women’s edition was finally granted after women Futsal players around the world clamored to FIFA since the men’s edition was first launched in 1930.

Apart from being the host country, Gutierrez said the Philippines also automatically qualifies as a participant in the event which will be joined by 15 other countries.

Additionally, Gutierrez said that the country has a facility-wise factor based on the successful hosting of the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Gutierrez visited the acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Garcia yesterday to ask for support, particularly in the search of suitable venues either for the eliminations, quarter-finals, semi-finals, or even the championship games soon.

Garcia said the city is willing to host some of the games, but said that so far it doesn’t have any coliseums or indoor gyms qualified for the event.

He added that the city’s thrust of having big sporting events here is sports tourism.

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