PFF: Azkals fans unite

With the Philippine national men’s football competing in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers held at the Rizal Memorial Football Field, the Philippine Football Federation wants fans to rally and support the squad.

PFF general secretary Mikhail Torre said the “Stand Your Ground: 10K Strong” is an initiative to encourage football fans to come and see the Azkals play as they will play two of their four matches at home.

Apart from the Philippines’ match against Vietnam, which is currently being played as of press time, the Azkals will be playing Indonesia on 21 November.

“You want to make an impact in the current programs. It has to come through strategic planning,” Torre said.

“I told them to focus on what we can do in a short term and that’s how we came up with the 10k Strong! It’s more issue-driven because for the longest time, we haven’t filled the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Azkals games apart from the Southeast Asian Games.”

Fans can purchase tickets via Ticketmax.com with the lowest-priced ticket at around P100.

Apart from the Vietnamese and the Indonesians, the Azkals will also face Iraq in Group F with the top two teams advancing to the third round and gaining an outright berth to the 2027 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Azkals team captain and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge is excited to have the fans’ support and hear them cheer on in one of their crucial matches for a spot in the World Cup.

“It’s fantastic for us as players to play in front of the home fans. It gives us the home edge advantage that we have the support on our side,” Etheridge said.