FIVE UST Golden Booters have been selected to the Philippine Men’s Under-23 National Team pool as the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) formally launched its early preparations through a talent identification exhibition match held on April 28 at the Mall of Asia Sky Pitch in Pasay City.
The initial pool features some of the country’s most promising young players drawn from the UAAP, the Philippines Football League, and the NCAA—marking a significant step in building the next generation of national team standouts.
Among those selected are UST Golden Booters standouts Kyler Escobar and Rodrigo Mariñas and incoming rookies from Junior Golden Booters Daniel Caganaan, Stephen Flores and Vincenzo Solidum.
Mariñas previously represented the country in the AFF U-19 Championship in Indonesia and the AFC U-20 Asian Cup in Thailand in 2024—experience he believes has prepared him for another shot at the national level.
“Getting this call-up means a lot to me. After what I showed last season, I’ve really been waiting for this kind of opportunity—to prove what I’m capable of and hopefully represent the country again,” Mariñas told The Flame.
He added that the selection brings him a step closer to earning a place in the final lineup for upcoming international competitions.
“Having multiple players from UST just shows the quality we have as a team and that we can compete at a higher level of football,” he said.
Mariñas, alongside Escobar and the rest of the Golden Booters, secured a bronze finish in the UAAP Season 88 men’s football tournament after falling to the FEU Tamaraws in a do-or-die semifinal clash.
“Our run last season, where we forced a do-or-die game in the semifinals, proves that we can compete with the best and highlights the team’s continuous growth,” he added.
The initiative signals a strategic shift toward sustained, year-round development of the U23 program, extending beyond traditional tournament cycles.
The formation of the high-potential pool follows close monitoring of domestic competitions over the past six months.
Following the domestic-based assessment, the PFF is set to expand its scouting efforts internationally, with a talent identification camp scheduled in San Diego, California, in May 2026. The camp will target Filipino-eligible players based in the United States, with the federation expected to release application details in the coming weeks.
