2024 Philippines Football League


The 2024 Philippines Football League was the sixth season of the Philippines Football League, the professional football league of the Philippines. The PFL was previously under the sponsorship title of Qatar Airways. The league saw the participation of 15 teams, the most ever since the league's inception, and was held in a single round-robin format from April 6 to July 14.
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. used the shortened format where all teams would play each other once. The season start was also delayed. 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 Manila Montet and One Taguig, which was 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.

Format changes

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.
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 schedule, unlike the previous inter-year 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.

Teams

The PFL would adopt a hybrid format, allowing clubs with no professional club licenses to participate.
Five clubs from the previous season initially confirmed its participation, alongside former participants Davao Aguilas and Loyola who expressed their commitment to the upcoming season in November and December 2023, respectively. 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.
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, announced their return to the league. The club had previously opted out of participating in the 2023 Copa Paulino Alcantara. 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.
TeamLocation
Davao AguilasTagum, Davao del Norte
DB Garelli UnitedMakati, Metro Manila
Dynamic Herb CebuTalisay, Cebu
Kaya–IloiloIloilo City, Iloilo
LoyolaManila, Metro Manila
Maharlika TaguigTaguig, Metro Manila
Manila DiggerTaguig, Metro Manila
Manila MontetManila, Metro Manila
Mendiola 1991Imus, Cavite
One TaguigTaguig, Metro Manila
Philippine Air ForcePasay, Metro Manila
Philippine ArmyTaguig, Metro Manila
[Stallion Laguna (province)|Laguna F.C.|Stallion Laguna]Biñan, Laguna
TuloyMuntinlupa, Metro Manila
United CityCapas, Tarlac

Stadiums

Most league matches are scheduled to be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, a venue which was also explicitly named as Manila Montet's home.
Tagum-based Davao Aguilas, a club which are in partnership with the University of Makati in Taguig, scheduled to play their home matches at the school's stadium.
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.
ManilaIloilo City
Rizal Memorial StadiumIloilo Sports Complex
Capacity: 12,873Capacity: 7,000
TaguigTalisay, Cebu
University of Makati StadiumDynamic Herb Sports Complex
Capacity: 3,295Capacity: 550

;Notes

Personnel and kits

Notes:
  1. Located on the front of the shirt.
  2. Located on the back of the shirt.
  3. Located on the sleeves.
  4. Located on the shorts.

Foreign players

Players name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window.
  • Former players only include players who left after the start of the 2024 season.

Results

Season statistics

Scoring

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1

Top assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1

Own goals

RankPlayerClubOwn
goals
1

Hat-tricks

PlayerClubResultAgainstDate

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1

Discipline

Red cards

RankPlayerTeamRed cards
1