18-year veteran Inna Palacios bows out as Filipinas finally strike gold

For Inna Palacios, the journey with the Filipinas never followed the shortest path — only the most meaningful one. Nearly two decades after first pulling on the national colors, the longtime goalkeeper chose to walk away not in silence, but in triumph, as Philippine women’s football finally reached a summit it had chased for generations.

Hours before the Filipinas stunned four-time champions Vietnam in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim their first-ever SEA Games gold, Palacios quietly revealed what would soon give the night an added layer of weight: this would be her final tournament with the national team.

The ending felt almost scripted. SEA Games was where the dream began — and 18 years later, it was where it found its most complete form.

“[It’s a] full circle moment for me, I think. SEA Games was when I started to dream. And it just took me 18 years to get the gold,” Palacios told POC Media. “But I think for me it’s, it’s sad that I have to leave the team. But I think I’ve done everything I can as a player, and I’ve dreamed a lot for the team. I’ve given so much for the team, and I’d want to see them dream for that.”

At just 31, Palacios’ résumé already reads like a living timeline of Filipinas football. She logged 51 caps, posted 18 clean sheets, and stood between the posts through eras when support was scarce and belief was often the only currency. 

From grassroots struggles to historic breakthroughs — including the country’s maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance and the 2022 AFF Women’s Championship — Palacios was there, steady and unflinching.

Her decision to retire wasn’t impulsive. It came after months of reflection, and a quiet certainty she couldn’t quite explain — only feel.

“A few months ago, but then I wanted it to be the right time,” she said. “And for some reason I always say this, I don’t know when or how, but in my heart knew SEA Games would be the last. I knew in my heart na ginawa ko lahat para sa team.”

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THANK YOU, INNA PALACIOS

SEA Games gold medalist Inna Palacios was emotional when the national anthem was being played. This marks her last game with the National Team after 18 years of service. | via Bea Escudero/Cignal#TibayAtTatag #SEAGames33 #SEAGamesThailand pic.twitter.com/sW9zGzb926

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) December 17, 2025

That inner peace allowed her to embrace the moment fully, even knowing her role had shifted in recent years amid injuries and the emergence of Olivia McDaniel. Instead of resentment, Palacios leaned into mentorship — a passing of the torch grounded in trust.

McDaniel, now the Filipinas’ primary keeper, didn’t hesitate to acknowledge whose foundation she was standing on.

“I will never speak any ill of her because she has been my rock,” McDaniel said. “Ever since I stepped into this team… she has always been the team first, pushing me to be my best, pushing each other to be our best.”

“She has just been so special and just such an icon to this team. And she built this team. She is the one that got us to where we are.”

Palacios admitted she wrestled with whether to announce her retirement before the gold medal match. In the end, instinct won — and she believes it mattered.

“I just felt like in my gut, my intuition, na if I did announce it, it would have been an extra boost for everyone to dig deep, because it’s much bigger than ourselves,” she said.

What followed validated that belief. Two penalty shootouts. Extra time. A tournament-opening loss. A team that kept finding ways to rise. For Palacios, it was the embodiment of the character she hoped to leave behind.

“That’s exactly the lesson I’ve wanted to leave them,” she said.

When asked about legacy, Palacios didn’t point to medals or caps. Instead, she spoke of belief — stubborn, patient, and deeply Filipino.

“I just believe,” she said. “Whatever they put their heads and their minds and their hearts into something, it’s something that they can achieve.”

After 18 years of choosing passion even when the path was difficult, Palacios found her reward not just in gold, but in closure.

“[I’m] just a person that loves deeply… When you love something, love it with all your heart,” she said. “It may take time, but 18 years, I can tell you it’s worth it.”

Few athletes get to script their own ending. Fewer still get to leave having completed the circle they once only dreamed of. For Inna Palacios, the wait was long — but the goodbye could not have been richer.

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