After a two-year wait, Philippines return to the tournament closest to the hearts of Filipino football supporters: the ASEAN Championship.
Officially known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026, Philippines head into the competition looking to go one step further after five semifinal appearances in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018 and -- most recently -- 2024.
And Philippines have opted for youth over experience for the tournament, which kicks off on July 24, with coach Carles Cuadrat's 24-player squad announced on Monday evening with an average age of just 24.9 years.
The fact that the tournament falls outside FIFA's international window means that recent mainstays Kevin Ray Mendoza, Bjorn Martin Kristensen, Gerrit Holtmann and captain Manny Ott were unavailable for selection -- as their clubs are now obliged to release them for national team duty.
Only three players in the squad have made over 30 appearances for Philippines in Daisuke Sato (62 caps), Sandro Reyes (31) and Jarvey Gayoso (34).
Meanwhile, more than half the roster (14 in total) have less than ten senior caps to their names -- including five who are yet to make their international debut in goalkeeper Enrico Mangaoang and attackers Andres Aldeguer, Aarran Long, Martini Rey and Rocket Ritarita.
Despite still being relatively youthful at 23, Reyes -- who famously had a stint at the famed youth academy of Spanish giants Barcelona -- is already a seasoned campaigner for the Filipinos.
At the last edition for the competition, he played a starring role as Philippines surprised many by reaching the semifinals.
"We will fight to try and compete in every game," Reyes said.
"It's going to be a tough tournament with a challenging group and schedule, so the support from the 12th man will give us that extra push to succeed."
25-year-old goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad, who will be vying with veteran Patrick Deyto to be the first choice between the posts, added: "It's a young squad, a lot of relatively new faces, and we believe we can make a run for it.
"Every member of the squad will give their absolute best to bring the country to where we belong."
Meanwhile, Cole Mrowka, who made his Philippines debut last month -- and scored the opening goal -- in a 5-1 friendly win over Guam, is looking forward to his first taste of featuring at Southeast Asia's premier tournament.
"It's going to be electrifying to work with a similar group to the last camp," said Mrowka, who plays for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew.
"Football has always been a game of fine margins, and we'll need to capitalize on our chances."
With a youthful core and the confidence gained from recent deep tournament runs, Philippines to the ASEAN Championship believing they have what it takes to make history.
Historically, Philippines were largely an afterthought in the ASEAN Championship since the tournament's inception in 1996, suffering numerous lopsided defeats -- including a 13-1 loss to Indonesia in 2002.
Everything changed in 2010 when Philippines produced arguably the tournament's greatest upset -- defeating then-defending champion Vietnam 2-0 in what has since been dubbed the "Miracle of Hanoi".
That historic victory gave Philippine football renewed belief in what was possible and, with five semifinal appearances over the past 16 years, the challenge now is to scale even greater heights.
Sitting out the Saturday's first round of Group B fixtures, Philippines officially begin their campaign against Myanmar on July 28 before taking on Laos and then finishing up against Thailand and Malaysia -- with the latter two shaping up as their main contenders for a top-two finish and a spot in the semis.
Philippines squad for the 2026 ASEAN Championship
Goalkeepers: Quincy Kammeraad, Patrick Deyto, Enrico Mangaoang
Defenders: Daisuke Sato, Christian Rontini, Noah Leddel, Adrian Ugelvik, Jaime Rosquillo, Santi Rublico, John Lucero, Scott Woods
Midfielders: Sandro Reyes, Oskari Kekkonen, Cole Mrowka, Kenji Nishioka, Javier Mariona, Gavin Muens
Forwards: Jarvey Gayoso, Pocholo Bugas, Andre Leipold, Andres Aldeguer, Martini Rey, Aarran Long, Rocket Ritarita
Philippines' group stage schedule
July 28: vs. Myanmar (New Clark City Athletics Stadium, Capas, Tarlac)
Aug. 1: vs. Laos (KM 12 National Stadium, Vientiane, Laos)
Aug. 4: vs. Thailand (New Clark City Athletics Stadium, Capas)
Aug. 8: vs. Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur Stadium, Malaysia)
