Peter Jandrei Melan

The Philippine Under-16 boys national football team made history after clinching the 2025 Lion City Cup championship, marking the country’s first international title in the prestigious youth tournament since its revival in 2013 on July 13.

Photo Courtesy of Philippine Football Federation.

The Filipino youth squad wrapped up an unbeaten run with a convincing 3–1 win over Cambodia at the Jalan Besar Stadium to top the four-nation tournament.

Cambodia struck first in the match with an early goal by Chhay Chharat in the 3rd minute, but the Philippines quickly recovered and took full control from there.

Aarran Long spearheaded the charge with a brace in the final match, finishing the tournament as the team’s leading scorer with three goals. Francis Poticano added one more goal to help seal the emphatic victory and secure the country’s breakthrough triumph.

The Philippines completed the competition with two wins and one draw for a total of seven points, finishing ahead of host Singapore, Hong Kong, and Cambodia in the standings.

Earlier in the week, the team defeated Singapore, 2–0, in their opener on July 9, then held Hong Kong to a 1–1 draw on July 11. Singapore’s 4–1 win over Hong Kong in the final matchday later confirmed the Philippines’ top spot and championship finish.

The Philippine U16 lineup was composed of players from regional football associations including the National Capital Region, Zamboanga del Norte, Central Visayas, Laguna, Negros Occidental, and Davao, under the guidance of head coach Tetsuya Tsuchida.

The Lion City Cup is one of the longest-running youth football competitions in Asia and featured four U16 teams this year: the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.

With reports from One Sports.