Copa Paulino Alcantara (Philippines) 2023/24

The **Copa Paulino Alcantara** stands as the primary national domestic cup competition in Philippine football, organized by the **Philippine Football Federation (PFF)**. Founded in 2018, the tournament replaced the PFF-Smart National Men's Club Championship and was renamed to honour Paulino Alcántara, a Filipino-Spanish football legend and former all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup history. Positioned as the secondary domestic trophy below the **Philippines Football League (PFL)** championship, it serves as the country's counterpart to the FA Cup in England or the Copa del Rey in Spain.

The competition features clubs from the PFL alongside invited guest clubs, such as U-22 national teams, university sides, and lower-division teams. The format has evolved significantly since its inception; while the 2018 edition utilised two groups with a double round-robin structure, the 2023 season employed multiple groups with a knockout phase for advancing teams. A third-place playoff was introduced in 2021, and the number of participating teams ranges considerably, from six in the inaugural year to seventeen in 2023.

Kaya FC–Iloilo is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won the cup three times in 2018, 2021, and 2023. United City FC, formerly known as Ceres–Negros, secured victories in 2019 and 2022. The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic, and the 2023 final saw Kaya FC–Iloilo defeat Davao Aguilas to retain the title. Winning the **Copa Paulino Alcantara** provides qualification for Asian competitions. Since 2021, the winner qualifies for the preliminary round of the following season's **AFC Champions League Two** qualifying play-offs. Should the winner fail to advance from these qualifiers to the **AFC Champions League Two** group stage, they are transferred to the **AFC Cup**. There is no promotion or relegation link between the cup and the PFL, as the league operates as a closed system.