Gilas Pilipinas walks into the Mall of Asia Arena this weekend with the weight of a World Cup run on its shoulders: a must-win stretch, a missing naturalized star, and one very tall man expected to carry the answer. Kai Sotto is back, and not a moment too soon.
The return everyone wanted
After nearly two years away, Kai Sotto is rejoining Gilas Pilipinas fully healthy. The 7-foot-3 center, who spent much of the past year rebuilding his form in Japan’s B.League after a torn ACL, will suit up for the national team for the first time since a 12-point, 15-rebound night in November 2024.
For the full arc of his journey through Japanese hoops, we traced the other Filipino standouts making their mark in the B.League earlier this year.
What he is walking back into
The timing is not gentle. Coach Tim Cone has ruled out Justin Brownlee, leaving Gilas without its naturalized anchor and forcing an all-Filipino rotation. That makes Sotto the focal point of a squad leaning on Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, Scottie Thompson and CJ Perez, with AJ Edu expected to anchor the defense.
The two games that decide it
Gilas enters the window at 2-4, fifth in Group E behind Australia, Iran, Jordan and New Zealand. The top three teams from the group, plus the best fourth-placed side, advance to the 2027 World Cup, with host Qatar qualifying automatically. The Philippines hosts Jordan on Friday and Iran on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
| Team | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 6 | 0 |
| Iran | 5 | 1 |
| Jordan | 5 | 1 |
| New Zealand | 4 | 2 |
| Philippines | 2 | 4 |
| Syria | 2 | 4 |
The good news: two losses here will not mathematically eliminate Gilas. The bad news: it would leave the team with four straight must-win games in the November and February windows just to keep its hopes alive.
Why Sotto came back now
Sotto said he decided to play after talking with coach Tim Cone and management, learning that CJ Perez was returning and that June Mar Fajardo is set to play his final international window. “Nasaktuhan lang din na fully ready na ako,” the 24-year-old said at a press conference ahead of the pair of games.
The bigger picture is one Tim Cone has been building toward for years: a young, athletic Gilas that can hang with the region’s best. Whether this version is enough, the next 48 hours will begin to answer.
