 | |
| Organising body | Liga Futbol Inc. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017; 8 years ago (2017) |
| Country | Philippines |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 11 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup | Copa Paulino Alcantara (until 2023) |
| International cups | |
| Current champions | Kaya–Iloilo (3rd title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | United City (4 titles) |
| Top scorer | Bienvenido Marañón (71) |
| Broadcaster(s) | Premier Sports (until 2024) Blast TV (until 2024) Fiber TV (streaming) Matchday+ (remaining games on the 2025 season) YouTube |
| Current:2025–26 Philippines Football League | |
ThePhilippines Football League (PFL) is a men's professionalfootball league in thePhilippines. Sanctioned by thePhilippine Football Federation (PFF) and organized by Liga Futbol Inc., it is the country'sprimary football competition. The2025–26 season will be contested by 11 clubs from August 30, 2025. The league does not have a system ofpromotion and relegation. From 2018 to 2023, all PFL clubs also took part in theCopa Paulino Alcantara, the annual domestic cup competition.
Founded in 2017, the PFL supplanted theMetro Manila-basedUnited Football League (UFL), which was thede facto top-tier league in the country from 2009 to 2016.[1] Since then, 11 clubs have competed in the PFL.United City (formerly Ceres–Negros) is the most successful club, with four consecutive titles. Aside from them, the only other club to have won the title is most recent championKaya–Iloilo.
The PFL's structure and organization has undergone several changes over the years. In 2018, the PFL was briefly dissolved due to financial and logistical issues, with thePhilippine Premier League (PPL) supplanting it. However, with the folding of the PPL after just one matchday, the PFL was revived in May 2019.
Following the success of thePhilippines national team in the2010 AFF Championship, Philippines football experienced a renaissance. With no existing national football league, the United Football League (UFL) established itself as thede facto top-tier league in the Philippines. Under the guidance of the Football Alliance (FA) in partnership with United Football Clubs Association (UFCA), the UFL flourished. However, the PFF expressed the need to have a nationwide, community-based football league that is at par with the standards set by theFédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and theAsian Football Confederation (AFC).[2] The UFL, which was under theNational Capital Region Football Association, could not be considered as a national league.
With the goal of establishing a truly nationwide professional football league in the Philippines, the PFF launchedNational League Task Force on December 2, 2013.[4] The task force was led by PFF president Mariano Araneta Jr. and general secretaryEdwin Gastanes, also composing of Filipino economistBernie Villegas, UFL president Randy Roxas, AFC deputy general secretary and competition directorDato' Windsor John, Filipino FIFA official Domeka Garamendi, AFC kick-off program director Yogesh Desai, UFL commissioner Bonnie Ladrido,ABS-CBN's Dino Laurena, former PFF general secretary Cyril Dofitas and Gelix Mercader.[5][6] The task force was tasked to do market research studies to determine the possible cities or regions where participating football clubs could be feasibly based, as well as assisting clubs in the Philippines to conform to the PFF club licensing regulations, of which the draft was initiated by Gastanes, with guidance from AFC. The PFF initially set a goal to launch the national league in two to three years from the inception of the task force.[2]
Singaporean sports marketing agency, Red Card Group led by former Singaporean international,R. Sasikumar, assisted the PFF in the initial stages of planning the league.[7]
Nielsen was tasked by PFF, through funding from FIFA and AFC to conduct a study in 2015, where they identified 13 key localities throughout the Philippines as viable home venues for participating clubs in the PFL. Among the factors considered were existing infrastructures, accessibility, capacity of fans to pay, the existence of sponsors, and fan appreciation of the sport.[3]
"Philippines Football League" was the most-preferred name for a prospective league according to a Nielsen survey which covered interviews of 5,000 people nationwide. Other choices included "P-League", "Maharlika League" (inspired by afeudal warrior class existing in theLuzon region during the pre-colonial era),[8] "Liga Pilipina", and "Philippine Premier League".[9]
The Philippines Football League was officially announced on September 7, 2016, and would be replacing the UFL as the Philippines' top-tier football league.[10]
At least six teams from all over the Philippines was planned to be part of the PFL, with clubs from the UFL invited to join. Clubs were given until December 2016 to formally apply to join the PFL.[3] The league competition was slated to begin in either the late March or early April in 2017.[1]
By April 1, 2017, the PFF confirmed the participation of 8 clubs from -Ilocos United andStallion Laguna fromLuzon;JPV Marikina,Kaya–Makati (now Kaya–Iloilo) andMeralco Manila (now Loyola) fromMetro Manila;Ceres–Negros (now United City) andGlobal Cebu (now Global FC) from theVisayas;Davao Aguilas fromMindanao.[11]
The official launching of the PFL happened on April 21, 2017, at theShangri-La at the Fort in Taguig.[12] The program was started by economist and PFL Task Force Chairman,Bernardo Villegas and ended by PFF PresidentMariano Araneta.[13]
Theinaugural season in 2017 was contested by eight clubs and had two stages; the regular season and a playoff competition. The regular season adopted a home-and-away, double round-robin format. The top four teams in the regular season advanced to the play-off round, dubbed as the "Final Series", to determine the champions of the league.[14]Ceres-Negros won the inaugural league title.
For thesecond season, the Final Series was scrapped due to the introduction of theCopa Paulino Alcantara, the cup competition for the league.[15] The number of clubs in the league was reduced from eight to six after the departure of Ilocos United (then converted to a grassroots association)[16] and FC Meralco Manila (that stayed active on a youth level ever since),[17][18] both due to lack of investment and sponsorship, while Kaya-Makati F.C. relocated toIloilo City and changed their name accordingly.[19] Ceres-Negros won their second title.[20]
In late-2018, Triple CH led by Thailand-based Filipino businessman Bernie Sumayao became involved in the league and has entered talks with PFF chairmanMariano Araneta.[21] He was appointed as the league's new commissioner.[22] Sumayao pledged to institute financial and structural reforms in the league; including a rebrand of the league to the "Philippine Premier League" (PPL) starting the 2019 season, more favorable sponsorship policies, and the disestablishment of the franchise fee in favor of a less expensive registration fee for clubs.[21]
At least eight teams were projected to play in the PPL's inaugural season.[21] However, the end of the 2017 season also saw the departure of a third club in the league's history,Davao Aguilas[23] Despite this, the league has received applications from several new clubs aspiring to join the PFL.[21]
The PPL effectively folded after the PFF announced that it has revoked its sanction of the league on May 3, 2019, due to its non compliance to the agreement with PFF.[24] The PFL was consequently revived, with athird season planned to commence within the year.[25] The new format proceeded as planned, with Ceres–Negros claiming their third consecutive league title despite internal managerial struggles.[26]
The PFL secured a three-year sponsorship deal withQatar Airways on January 26, 2020, with the Qatari firm becoming the Airline partner and Title Sponsor of the PFL.[27] Negotiations for deal occurred as early as November 2019.[28] The league was formally renamed as "The Philippines Football League brought to you by Qatar Airways" as a result of the sponsorship.[29][30]
The2020 season was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and was later held in abio-secure bubble inCarmona, Cavite from October 28 to November 9, 2020, while the edition of the Copa Paulino Alcantara was cancelled, due to the time constraints caused by the original postponement.[31][32][33] Ceres-Negros, which had just sustained an ownership change and got renamed as "United City F.C.",[34][35] then proceeded to win their fourth title in a row, with Kaya F.C.-Iloilo finishing second despite remaining unbeaten and thus becoming the first club in PFL's history to do so.[36]
The same year saw the official entry in the competition of newly foundedAzkals Development Team, directly controlled by thenational football federation, as a guest team that would host mainly "homegrown" young talents, as well as some overage players, in order to expand the resources of thenational team.[37][38][39]
In 2021, following the rise of Philippines in theAFC rankings and the expansion of theAFC Champions League's group stage from 32 to 40 teams,[40][41] United City became the first Filipino team to qualify for the group stage of the competition, as winners of the 2020 edition of the PFL. Plus, the2021 season saw both the return of the league cup, set to be organized in April,[42] and a slight expansion of the league,[43] with PFL commissioner Coco Torre announcing in February that Loyola F.C. (returning to the league after competing for the last time in 2018) and former UFL teamLaos F.C. (on his official debut) had submitted their respective requests to join the competition.[44]
The2024–25 season saw the reintroduction of theFinals Series, albeit as a distinct competition.[45]
For the2025–26 season it marks the first time since the league's inception where there was no change in the number of teams participating, with ten teams competing in the season. However, last season's eighth- and ninth-placed teams,Loyola and thePhilippine YNT, will not participate this season. In August, two teams from the2024 season, namelyDon Bosco Garelli United,Tuloy andPhilippine Army, would rejoin the league to bring the number to 11.
Davao Aguilas, who finished sixth in the previous season, relocated their club toMakati and renamed toAguilas–UMak F.C., with the latter derived from theUniversity of Makati Stadium, where the club had previously trained and held matches.[46] After changing its name last season, Maharlika Taguig once again changed its name to simplyMaharlika F.C.. The Mendiola FC 1991 will relocate from Imus, Cavite to Valenzuela and renamed toValenzuela PB–Mendiola F.C.
The PFL followed a traditional home-and-away doubleround-robin format during the 2018, 2019, and 2022–23 seasons, although some clubs did not have their home stadiums.
The2018 season saw 7 teams playing each other 4 times. In the2019 season with 6 teams competing, the format was made into a quadrupleround-robin format, this time playing each other 5 times whole season.
In the2020 season, all matches were held in abio-secure bubble single venue with 5 matches played by each team in a span of 12 days starting from October 28 to November 12.[47] The last match was postponed due toTyphoon Vamco (Ulysses), although the match was never played, instead documented as a goalless draw against Mendiola and Stallion.
The2022–23 season saw a switch from an intra-year format to an inter-year format due to theAsian Football Confederation changing its system of scheduling into an inter-year format. Each team played 22 games during this season, excludingUnited City, which withdrew mid-season.
After the success of the2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara, the league saw an expansion from 7 teams to 15, an all time high for the league. With this the league schedule was again switched to a intra-year format for the2024 season, and the format changed to a single round-robin tournament with 14 matches played by each team. This season also saw most of its games played in centralized venues, with almost all games played at theRizal Memorial Stadium.
It was only during the 2017 season that the league had two phases; the regular season and theFinals Series, a play-off round where the top four teams played to determine the league champion.[14][10] The Finals Series was reintroduced for the 2024–25 season but as a distinct competition of its own.[45]
There was a proposal to convert the former UFL to a second division tournament or areserve league to the PFL.[48][15] However, such plans never materialized.
Twenty-one clubs have played in the PFL since its inception in 2017, up to and including the2025–26 season.[49][better source needed]
| Philippines Football League | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Location | Joined PFL | Founded | Best finish | Ref. | ||
| Aguilas–UMak | Makati,Metro Manila | 2017 | 2017 | 3rd (2018) | |||
| Don Bosco Garelli United | Makati,Metro Manila | 2024 | 2013 | 11th (2024) | |||
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | Cebu City,Cebu | 2022 | 2021 | 2nd (2022–23) | [50] | ||
| Kaya–Iloilo | Iloilo City,Iloilo | 2017 | 1996 | 1st (2022–23) | [51] | ||
| Maharlika | Taguig,Metro Manila | 2020 | 2020 | 5th (2022–23) | [52] | ||
| Manila Digger | Taguig,Metro Manila | 2024 | 2018 | 2nd (2024–25) | |||
| One Taguig | Taguig,Metro Manila | 2024 | 2024 | 3rd (2024–25) | |||
| Philippine Army | Taguig,Metro Manila | 2024 | 1960 | 14th (2024) | |||
| Stallion Laguna | Biñan,Laguna | 2017 | 2002 | 3rd (2019) | [53][54] | ||
| Tuloy | Muntinlupa,Metro Manila | 2024 | 2023 | 12th (2024) | |||
| Valenzuela PB–Mendiola | Valenzuela,Metro Manila | 2019 | 1991 | 4th (2022–23) | |||
League memberFormer memberGuest team
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The Philippines Football League, along with theCopa Paulino Alcantara, is managed by thePasig-based Liga Futbol Inc.[55][56][57]Singapore-based Red Card Global, a sports marketing agency has exclusive commercial rights to the PFL.[58] Each club had to pay a franchise fee to participate in the league.[10] Reportedly in April 2017, the franchise fee was pegged at $500,000 by the PFF which can be paid by member clubs within a period of five years.[59]
The league is professional in nature, clubs are intended to have a share of the league's broadcast revenues and sponsorship. Each club is allowed to be assisted by the league in securing their own sponsors.[1]
The professional status of the league is recognized by theGames and Amusements Board, the regulatory body for professional sports in the Philippines.[60]
In October 2018, thePhilippines Football Federation was awarded the League Development award by theAsian Football Confederation for its organization of the PFL.[61]
All PFL clubs were required under the PFF club licensing regulations to have a name that includes the name of their home locality. The clubs were also required to have nicknames, crests, and colors based on the unique characteristics of their home locality.[62]
Participating clubs were allowed to have between 25 and 30 players. Reportedly in September 2016, four foreign players were to be allowed per club, with at least one coming from anAFC country.[9] On January 17, 2017, it was reported that this foreign player limit rule was yet to be finalized by the PFF.[63]
The PFL reportedly planned to have asalary cap and a salary floor.[10]
All participating clubs in the PFL were required to commit to the organization and development of at least two youth teams, one under 18 and another under 15. The clubs' youth teams were required to participate in competitions organized by the Philippine Football Federation.[62]
The clubs of the PFL were required to have a certified home stadium either through ownership of the stadium or having an active contract with the owners of the stadium. Likewise, all clubs were required to have access to or own a training field and facility,[62] although some clubs have been allowed to provisionally participate even without a designated home stadium.
Title sponsor
| Company | Period | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar Airways | 2020–2023 | [64] |
The Philippine Football Federation had an agreement with thePeople's Television Network to broadcast matches of the league which was signed in April 2017[65] though the network coverage of the league didn't last at least half a season.[66] Matches since then were live streamed through the MyCujoo online platform.[67]
On February 22, 2018, the league had signed an agreement withSportradar which would enable it livestream matches through Sportradar's Over-The-Top (OTT) platform.[57][68] In April 2018, Liga Futbol Inc. approved a budget to secure a broadcasting partner for the 2018 season.[69]
For the 2019 season, all matches were streamed on Facebook and the league's official website.[70]
The Qatar Airways sponsorship deal signed with the league in January 2020 included provisions to broadcast selected matches live on television.[71] On October 15, during the virtual conference of the official launch of the 2020 PFL season, PFF President Mariano Araneta announced the partnership with One Play Sports as digital content partner.[72] Matches were also broadcast on cable television through EXPTV onCignal and on the PFL's social media.[73]
On April 4, 2024, the league announced that they will have a tv coverage through Premier Sports on Cignal andSky Cable and livestream viaBlast TV, Fiber TV and the PFL website.[74] In the same month, Matchday Media was announced to be the content and business development partner of the PFL, providing pitchside reporters for the league's coverage.[75]
On January 8, 2025, all remaining games of the first and second round will be streamed live on matchday+.[76]
Qatar Airways, upon Araneta's request, has agreed to a three-year deal as title sponsor of the PFL starting next year.
The Top 4, on the other hand, will see action in the Finals Series, an entirely different competition from the regular season wherein a ticket to the 2025-26 ASEAN Club Championship is up for grabs.
The PFL did not enjoy having televised matches all season long last year from the league season to the Copa Paulino Alcantara, although all of the matches were streamed live in the PFL website and in its Facebook page.
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