Sandro Reyes: Eyes on the prize
Once a wide-eyed boy training at FCB Escola, the youth academy inspired by FC Barcelona’s legendary La Masia system, Sandro Reyes is no longer just a promising prospect. He’s now the face of an emerging football nation. For a country often starved of football heroes developed at the highest level. Reyes stands as one of the beacons of a sport that continues to find its footing in a basketball-loving nation.
With his crisp passing, vision in midfield, and calm presence on the ball, these attributes have made him more than just a technical asset for the Azkals. As his career continues to progress, what is apparent is the rare blend of international training and national pride that Reyes possesses.
Currently playing his trade in Germany for FC Gütersloh, Reyes is quietly sharpening his game in one of the world’s most competitive football environments.
While he might not yet be a household name across Europe, his experience abroad is shaping a player who could become central not just to the Azkals’ midfield, but to the nation’s broader football ambitions. In many ways, Reyes is straddling two worlds — representing the Philippines on the pitch while preparing for bigger stages abroad.
Long before wearing the national colors, Sandro Reyes was just a boy with big dreams playing on the modest fields of PAREF Southridge, where his love for the game first took root. Surrounded by schoolmates and playing under the Manila sun, football was more than a sport. It was his passion, his escape, his dream waiting to take flight.
“It was very fun. You’re with all your friends, it was an all-boys school. Just boys being boys, having fun,” Sandro told ALL-STAR.
“It was also a great time to play and learn football. I had good coaches there. Southridge is always good for football. Not only in my football career but also as a person, educationally and in terms of the values they try to share with all the boys, I think I’ve carried that with me as I’ve grown up.” Sandro added.
That dream took a life-changing turn back in 2012 when Sandro earned a spot at FCB Escola, the official academy of FC Barcelona. It was a moment that didn’t just change his life — it lit up the entire Philippine football community. For the first time, fans and insiders alike were saying his name: a Filipino boy training under the same philosophy that produced legends like Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta.
At just ten years old, Sandro Reyes became a symbol of hope. In him, we saw a glimpse of what could be possible for Filipino football on the world stage. Sandro Reyes recalls his initial reaction to moving to Spain for football.
“I was just really excited to be able to experience a new country, and such a big country like Spain in terms of football, so I wasn’t really worried about the social aspect or the language. I was just a kid, and I was excited to be living that kind of dream.”
While listening to him recall his thoughts to answer this question without a change of expression on his face, to us, it seemed that his aura reached a different level. How many ten year olds do you know would have given that kind of answer that is just focused on football?
When Sandro Reyes finally made his debut for the Philippine Men’s National Team on December 18, 2022, in a match against Myanmar during the 2022 AFF Championship, it wasn’t the kind of spectacular arrival that grabs headlines. Coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute, his touches were limited, and the Azkals would go on to win 2-3.
“My first game was actually one of the worst games I’ve played. I was 18, and I came in around the 60th minute I think? We were winning 3–0, and then I came in and made two mistakes, and they scored.
It was a good learning experience for me. I was able to bounce back from that, and it taught me at an early age how football can be. That’s what I love about the sport, you’re going to have bad games, bad days, and you have to pick yourself up.” The midfielder said with a laugh and a touch of humility as he recalled his first game in Myanmar.
But for those who had followed his story since the days of La Masia and viral news clips, his quiet entrance was anything but ordinary. It was a full-circle moment. The once-boy wonder from Barcelona’s academy, whose name had faded into whispers over the years, was now wearing the crest of his homeland. The football community took notice not for the stats that night, but for the symbolism. After years of waiting and wondering, Sandro Reyes was no longer just a promise. He was finally here.
Slowly but surely, as he grew more familiar with the national team’s system and pace, Sandro began earning his place. In the most recent edition of the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, he started to show exactly why so many had once believed in him.
Calm in possession, composed under pressure, and creative in transition, he began to emerge not just as a role player but as one of the new faces of the Azkals’ second coming. His rise is not just about redemption; it’s about revival — both his own, and that of Philippine football. Reflecting on his diverse football journey, Sandro talked about how playing in different countries helped shape his style and skills.
“I’ve played in Spain, the Philippines, and Germany, and I was able to take the best from all those worlds to shape my game.”
According to Sandro, the technical side of Spain and the physical side of Germany really helped him become a more complete player.
“And I’m still working to be more complete.”
And as his role solidified, something quietly shifted across the local football landscape.
Once upon a time, young Filipino footballers grew up dreaming of becoming the next Chieffy Caligdong or the Younghusbands — names that defined a past generation of pride and passion. But today, with Sandro Reyes commanding the midfield as the team’s first-choice central playmaker, a new name echoes on the grassroots fields and schoolyard courts.
“It’s just the most special feeling, that’s why you train every day. Kids message you, asking for advice, asking you to sign their jerseys, and get excited when they see you in person. To be able to give them that happiness and be someone they look up to is a very, very special feeling.”
Sandro expressed the joy and responsibility he feels being a role model for young fans and aspiring players.
During this part of our conversation it’s as if he broke character and actually started to express some of his emotions he was letting out to smile here and there, the expression of his eyes brightened and you could really feel the deep pride and honor he has for the national team.
Sandro isn’t just admired. He’s idolized. Not just for his soft-spoken presence or boyish charm, but for the way he ruthlessly dictates play, weaving through defenders and controlling matches with maturity beyond his years. For this new generation, Sandro Reyes isn’t just living the dream. He’s shaping it.
One of the things I appreciate most about Sandro is that he understands exactly who he is and what he means to the Philippine football community. Whereas others will choose to play small and underplay their abilities to reduce pressure around them, he knows the responsibilities bestowed upon him as the poster boy of Philippine football.
Sandro Reyes’ story is far from over, but already, it’s become a blueprint for belief. From chasing a ball on the school fields of Southridge to testing himself in Europe with FC Gütersloh — a German club that recently earned a spot in the prestigious DFB-Pokal — his journey reminds us that dreams don’t always unfold in fireworks. Sometimes, they take shape slowly, in silence, through sacrifice, doubt, and persistence.
In a country where football has long fought to find its place, Sandro stands as proof that it only takes one believer to ignite many. That a Filipino kid, armed with vision, patience, and heart, can grow into something more than a promise. He can become a leader. A symbol. A reason for the next generation to believe that the world isn’t too far, and that greatness isn’t reserved for others.
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