| Competition: | Philippines Football League |
| Season: | 2024 |
| Dates: | 6 April – 14 July |
| Winners: | Kaya–Iloilo 2nd title |
| Continentalcup1: | AFC Champions League Two |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Kaya–Iloilo Dynamic Herb Cebu |
| Matches: | 105 |
| Total Goals: | 569 |
| League Topscorer Section: | Top goalscorers |
| League Topscorer: | Jarvey Gayoso (23 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | One Taguig 17–0 DB Garelli United (June 1) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Manila Montet 0–14 Kaya–Iloilo (June 15) |
| Highest Scoring: | Dynamic Herb Cebu 16–2 DB Garelli United (June 1) |
| Longest Wins: | Kaya–Iloilo (May 5 – July 13) (10 matches) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | Kaya–Iloilo (Apr 7 – July 13) (14 matches) |
| Longest Winless: | Manila Montet (Apr 7 – July 13) (14 matches) |
| Longest Losses: | Manila Montet (Apr 7 – July 13) (14 matches) |
| Highest Attendance: | 728 (May 8) |
| Prevseason: | 2022–23 |
| Nextseason: | 2025 |
The 2024 Philippines Football League was the sixth season of the Philippines Football League (PFL), the professional football league of the Philippines. The PFL was previously under the sponsorship title of the Qatar Airways. The league saw the participation of 15 teams, the most ever since the league's inception, and was held in a round-robin format from April 6 to July 14, 2024.
The season was marked by rapid change. The league was originally planned to feature three phases and culminate in a knockout round format to decide the champion, although plans were changed before the competition started. Liga Futbol Inc. revised the format for the season to a shortened round-robin format, where all teams would play each other once. The season start date was also delayed from its planned date in late March to April 6. Foreigner rules were also relaxed, in keeping with the removal of foreigner restrictions in international competitions by the Asian Football Confederation.[1]
After the success of the expanded 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara, the PFL relaxed the requirements for new clubs to apply. Aside from the five current PFL teams and the remaining teams from the Copa, the league welcomed two new clubs, namely Manila Montet and One Taguig, who were initially registered as Taguig City United. The winners and runners-up of the league would qualify for the revised 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two.
Kaya–Iloilo, the defending champions, secured their second consecutive title with one match left to play.[2] [3]
The Philippine Football Federation and Liga Futbol Inc. decided on shifting the season back to an intra-year format, starting in February. Due to the sudden withdrawals of Azkals Development Team and United City at the tail-end of the previous season, the league will be looking to increase the number of teams from 5 to a number ranging up to 16, the highest ever in the PFL.[4]
This season would have marked the first change in the league format since 2017, with each team playing every team twice before a second round would split the league table into two, where teams would play the teams in their bracket once more. After the conclusion of those matches, the top eight teams overall would advance to a final series consisting of two-legged quarter- and semi-final ties, after which a champion would be crowned in the final. This plan was later abandoned and a single round robin format was implemented with a transition to an intra-year (spring-to-autumn) schedule, unlike the previous inter-year (autumn-to-spring) schedule from the 2022–23 season.
Though clubs may still play home and away matches, the league would also use a "hybrid home-and-away format", which will see more matches played at centralized venues to alleviate costs.
| Important season dates[5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Event | |
| January 1 | Opening of first transfer window | |
| January 15 | Deadline for club registration | |
| January 20 | Preliminary submission of roster (clubs must submit at least 18 players) | |
| February 20 | Second submission of roster (clubs must have a minimum of 25 players in roster with at least 7 players added) | |
| April 6 | PFL season start[6] | |
The PFL would adopt a hybrid format, allowing clubs with no professional club licenses to participate.[7] Five clubs from the previous season initially confirmed its participation, alongside former participants Davao Aguilas and Loyola (formerly competing as Meralco Manila) who expressed their commitment to the upcoming season in November and December 2023, respectively.[8] [9] DB Garelli United, a team that participated in the Copa, and Manila Montet also confirmed their participation in December. The league initially planned to expand to a number of 12 clubs and invited all the other non-UAAP sides, but due to the overwhelming demand plans were made for further expansion.[10]
In February 2023, United City, who had previously withdrawn midway through the 2022–23 season due to financial and legal issues with the Singaporean group Riau Capital Live,[11] announced their return to the league. The club had previously opted out of participating in the 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara.[12] On February 5, the league officially announced that the number of participating clubs had grown to 15, the most teams to have participated in a PFL season. The other new clubs included four who had participated in the previous edition of the Copa; Manila Digger, Tuloy, Philippine Army, and 2019 participants Philippine Air Force, as well as a completely new club, One Taguig.[13] [14]
Most league matches are scheduled to be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium,[15] a venue which was also explicitly named as Manila Montet's home.[16]
Tagum-based Davao Aguilas, a club which are in partnership with the University of Makati in Taguig,[17] scheduled to play their home matches at the school's stadium.[15]
In January, the club renamed from Maharlika Manila to Maharlika Taguig following their location change. Although they have no matches scheduled in Taguig. The same goes for Mendiola 1991, Stallion Laguna, and United City which also have their designated home stadiums.
| Manila | Iloilo City | |
|---|---|---|
| Rizal Memorial Stadium | Iloilo Sports Complex | |
| Capacity: 12,873 | Capacity: 7,000 | |
| Taguig | Talisay, Cebu | |
| University of Makati Stadium | Dynamic Herb Sports Complex | |
| Capacity: 3,295 | Capacity: 550 | |
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davao Aguilas | Aber Ruzgal | Daisuke Sato | Chronos Athletics | University of Makati, SpeedRegalo, Brodo, Wit.id |
| DB Garelli United[18] | Karl Claudio | James Dorego | Chronos Athletics | Smokin' Hills, Growee, GSMH Law, Clink |
| Dynamic Herb Cebu |  Memiş Özata | Nathanael Villanueva | RAD Apparel | Leylam, WinZir, Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark Cebu |
| Kaya–Iloilo |  Yu Hoshide | Audie Menzi | LGR Sportswear | LBC |
| Loyola[19] | Roxy Dorlas |  Kim Sung-min | RAD Apparel | Popeyes, Unioil, VV&Co |
 Lerche Njang | Anton del Rosario | Blaze Athletics | AIA, Palaro | |
| Manila Digger[20] | Pong Liman | Shin Min-ki |  UCAN | OKFly |
| Manila Montet[21] | Kenneth Arnaldo | Gansmari Antipuesto | Wika Sport | The Montet Group |
| Mendiola 1991 | Dan Padernal |  Hamed Hajimehdi | Ropa | Vill-Mell Trading, Mr. Freeze |
| One Taguig | Jovanie Villagracia | Kevin Ingreso | Azkals Sportswear | Chooks-to-Go, I Love Taguig |
| Philippine Air Force | Joebel Bermejo | Romeo Martinez Jr. | Chronos Athletics | Elan Vita |
| Philippine Army | Nestorio Margarse | Ricardo Becite | Chronos Athletics | Elan Vita |
| Stallion Laguna |  Ernest Nierras | Matthew Nierras | Blaze Athletics | Giligan's Restaurant, Pythos, SCID |
| Tuloy | Taketomo Suzuki | Harry Nuñez | Blaze Athletics | TSL Football Foundation |
| United City |  Ramon Tribulietx |  Matt Silva |  Almer Apparel | UCFC Fan Token, Fairmont Makati |
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaya–Iloilo | Yu Hoshide | Demoted to assistant coach | August 5, 2023 | Pre-season | Colum Curtis | August 5, 2023 |
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | Mehmet Kakil[22] | Mutual consent | July 16, 2023 | Joshua Schirmer | August 9, 2023 | |
| Maharlika Taguig | Roxy Dorlas | Appointed head coach of Loyola | Lerche Njang | August 12, 2023 | ||
| Manila Montet | None | N/A | Kim Jeong-il | December 13, 2023 | ||
| DB Garelli United | Ake Pastoral | Undisclosed | December 17, 2023 | Joel Villarino | December 17, 2023 | |
| Kaya–Iloilo | Colum Curtis | Mutual consent | December 12, 2023 | Yu Hoshide | January 13, 2024 | |
| Dynamic Herb Cebu |  Joshua Schirmer | Sacked | January 22, 2024 | Memiş Özata[23] | January 30, 2024 | |
| Manila Montet | Kim Jeong-il | Undisclosed | February 23, 2024 | Eliezer Fabroada | February 23, 2024 | |
| United City | Joan Esteva | Force majeure | February 16, 2023 | Marian Mihail | March 13, 2024 | |
| One Taguig | None | N/A | Jovanie Villagracia | March 21, 2024 | ||
| Mendiola 1991 | Joel Villarino | Appointed head coach of DB Garelli United | December 17, 2023 | Christopher Pedimonte | April 6, 2024 | |
| Manila Montet | Eliezer Fabroada | Undisclosed | April 2024 | 12th | Dennis Balbin[24] | April 21, 2024 |
| United City | Marian Mihail | Resigned | April 21, 2024 | 7th | Ramon Tribulietx | May 1, 2024 |
| DB Garelli United | Joel Villarino | Mutual consent | May 1, 2024 | 13th | Karl Claudio | |
| Manila Montet | Dennis Balbin | Resigned | May 22, 2024 | 15th | Kenneth Arnaldo | May 29, 2024 |
| Mendiola 1991 | Christopher Pedimonte | Undisclosed | July 2024 | 10th | Dan Padernal | July 7, 2024 |
The 2024 season will mark the first time where the league will impose no maximum number of foreign players per team. However, the league imposed a ceiling on foreign players that can be played during a match, with a maximum of 5 foreigners plus one foreign goalkeeper allowed on the pitch at the same time per team.[25]
Players name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window.
| Foreign players by confederation | ||
|---|---|---|
| width=10% | China (1), Indonesia (1), (4), Japan (18),  Lebanon (1), (7),  Northern Mariana Islands (2) | |
| width=10% |  Cameroon (8), (1), (2),  Ghana (10), (8),  Liberia (1),  Mali (1),  Morocco (1), Nigeria (4),  Senegal (5),  Sierra Leone (1),  Sudan (1),  Togo (1) | |
| width=10% | Canada (1),  Mexico (1),  Suriname (1), United States (6) | |
| width=10% |  Argentina (3),  Brazil (5) | |
| width=10% | (1),  France (1),  Netherlands (2), Spain (1), Turkey (2) | |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaya–Iloilo | 23 | |
| 2 | One Taguig | 21 | |
| 3 | Stallion Laguna | 17 | |
| 4 | United City | 14 | |
| 5 | United City | 13 | |
| 6 | One Taguig | 11 | |
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | |||
| Stallion Laguna | |||
| Davao Aguilas | |||
| 10 | Stallion Laguna | 10 | |
| Kaya–Iloilo | |||
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | |||
| Davao Aguilas |
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Taguig | 17 | |
| 2 | Dynamic Herb Cebu | 15 | |
| 3 | Stallion Laguna | 12 | |
| 4 | United City | 10 | |
| Kaya–Iloilo | |||
| Davao Aguilas | |||
| 7 | United City | 9 | |
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | |||
| Stallion Laguna | |||
| 10 | Kaya–Iloilo | 8 | |
| One Taguig | |||
| Kaya–Iloilo | |||
| Stallion Laguna | |||
| One Taguig |
| Rank | Player | Club | Own goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Albor | Philippine Air Force | 1 |
| Loyola | |||
| Neil Dorimon | Philippine Army | ||
| Keith Edulan | Mendiola 1991 | ||
| Bode Solomon | DB Garelli United | ||
| David Yeboah | Mendiola 1991 |
| Player | Club | Result | Against | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sajad Mohebizadeh | Mendiola 1991 | 7–0 (A) | Philippine Air Force | 6 April 2024 | |
| Tsukasa Shimomura4 | One Taguig | 8–0 (H) | 13 April 2024 | ||
| Jarvey Gayoso4 | Kaya–Iloilo | 12–0 (A) | DB Garelli United | ||
| Jules Koumoin | DB Garelli United | 4–2 (H) | Mendiola 1991 | 20 April 2024 | |
| Griffin McDaniel5 | Stallion Laguna | 13–0 (H) | Manila Montet | 21 April 2024 | |
| Magson Dourado | |||||
| Shuto Komaki | Kaya–Iloilo | 10–1 (A) | Maharlika Taguig | ||
| Guytho Mijland | Dynamic Herb Cebu | 10–0 (H) | 27 April 2024 | ||
| Ibrahima Ndour | Davao Aguilas | 6–0 (H) | Manila Montet | 28 April 2024 | |
| Griffin McDaniel | Stallion Laguna | 6–0 (H) | Philippine Army | ||
| Jon Nebreja | Mendiola 1991 | 6–0 (A) | Manila Montet | 3 May 2024 | |
| Jarvey Gayoso4 | Kaya–Iloilo | 9–0 (H) | Philippine Air Force | 8 May 2024 | |
| Ariel Ngueukam | United City | 4–2 (A) | Manila Digger | 11 May 2024 | |
| Junior Mailly | Maharlika Taguig | 3–1 (H) | DB Garelli United | 18 May 2024 | |
| Juan Trujillo | Stallion Laguna | 6–1 (H) | Mendiola 1991 | ||
| Jarvey Gayoso7 | Kaya–Iloilo | 9–0 (H) | Tuloy | 29 May 2024 | |
| Zamoranho Ho-A-Tham | Dynamic Herb Cebu | 16–2 (H) | DB Garelli United | 1 June 2024 | |
| Abou Sy | |||||
| Tsukasa Shimomura | One Taguig | 9–1 (A) | Mendiola 1991 | ||
| Juan Trujillo4 | Stallion Laguna | 8–0 (H) | Philippine Air Force | 8 June 2024 | |
| Lee Do-kyung4 | Kaya Iloilo | 14–0 (A) | Manila Montet | 15 June 2024 | |
| Martini Rey4 | |||||
| Ricardo Sendra | United City | 3–0 (H) | Mendiola 1991 | 22 June 2024 | |
| Tsukasa Shimomura6 | One Taguig | 17–0 (H) | DB Garelli United | 29 June 2024 | |
| Taher Jahanbakhsh | |||||
| Naoto Hiraishi | |||||
| Zamoranho Ho-A-Tham | Dynamic Herb Cebu | 4–0 (H) | Philippine Army | ||
| Hamed Hajimehdi | Mendiola 1991 | 4–2 (H) | Tuloy | ||
| Jed Delariarte | Philippine Air Force | 8–0 (A) | Manila Montet | ||
| Yusuke Unoki | Davao Aguilas | 8–0 (H) | Maharlika Taguig | 30 June 2024 | |
| Jeon Sang-cheon | Manila Digger | 7–0 (A) | DB Garelli United | 6 July 2024 | |
| Salifu Jatta | 8–2 (A) | Manila Montet | 13 July 2024 | ||
| Su Diao | |||||
| Ariel Ngueukam | United City | 9–2 (A) | Maharlika Taguig | 13 July 2024 | |
| Ricardo Sendra | |||||
| Taher Jahanbakhsh | One Taguig | 6–1 (H) | Tuloy | 14 July 2024 |
4 Player scored four goals
5 Player scored five goals
6 Player scored six goals
7 Player scored seven goals
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davao Aguilas | 9 | |
| 2 | Kaya–Iloilo | 7 | |
| 3 | United City | 6 | |
| Stallion Laguna | |||
| 5 | Dynamic Herb Cebu | 5 | |
| 6 | One Taguig | 4 | |
| John Misagal | DB Garelli United | ||
| 8 | Kaya–Iloilo | 3 | |
| Mark Bedia | Philippine Army | ||
| Dynamic Herb Cebu |
| Rank | Player | Team | Red cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippine Army | 2 | |
| Victor Nkoa | Maharlika Taguig | ||
| 3 | Paolo Alovera | DB Garelli United | 1 |
| Amir Aningalan | Mendiola 1991 | ||
| Abrielle Belgira | Philippine Army | ||
| Dynamic Herb Cebu | |||
| Philippine Army | |||
| Davao Aguilas | |||
| United City | |||
| Joshua Jalog | Manila Digger | ||
| One Taguig | |||
| Boris Kante | Loyola | ||
| Kaya–Iloilo | |||
| Davao Aguilas | |||
| Davao Aguilas | |||
| Dabao Aguilas | |||
| One Taguig | |||
| Jacob Tañamor | Mendiola 1991 | ||
| Loyola |
These are the following awards that would be awarded after the season concludes.
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Golden ball | TBD | |
| Golden boot | ||
| Golden glove | ||
Submission of Roster for PFL 2024
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 5 February 2024.Davao Aguilas FC
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 6 December 2023.A quick look at the starters for today's match between Garelli United FC and Loyola FC
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 6 December 2023.Maharlika Manila FC
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 6 December 2023.Mendiola FC 1991
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 6 December 2023.Mendiola FC 1991
. Twitter . Philippines Football League on Twitter . 6 December 2023.
Yohann Fofana