Team Philippines opened its campaign in dominant fashion, sweeping all three of its Group A matches on Day 1 of the eFIBA World Finals 2026 to secure a spot in the next phase of the tournament.

The Filipinos defeated France, 64-53, before overpowering Algeria, 73-52, and capping the day with a convincing 72-45 rout of Germany.

With the unbeaten run, the Philippines advanced to the next stage of the global esports basketball competition, positioning itself as one of the early contenders in the field.

The squad is composed of Chris Briones, Joshua Machado, Kenneth Gutierrez, Miguel Hubillar and Prich Diez, who earned their place in the World Finals after topping the Asian Qualifiers last February.

The Philippines was drawn in Group A alongside Algeria, France and Germany, while Group B features the Dominican Republic, Lebanon, host nation Qatar and Türkiye.

A total prize pool of $50,000 will be awarded to the top-performing teams and standout individual players in the tournament.

After finishing fourth in last year’s Season 3 World Finals, Team Philippines is aiming for a stronger podium finish this year as it continues its campaign in Doha.