22 Facts About Mariano Araneta

Mariano Araneta was the president of the Philippine Football Federation from 2010 to 2023 and is currently a member of the FIFA Council since May 2017.

Mariano Araneta played for his town's team in province-wide football tournaments held during the summer and Christmas season during his childhood.

Mariano Araneta was a varsity player for both the university's basketball and football team.

Mariano Araneta played for the UP Fighting Maroons basketball team for three years in the 1970s.

Mariano Araneta played as a point guard due to his football background.

Mariano Araneta was offered to play for a farm team of Mariwasa, a team in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, by UP Coach Fely Fajardo so that after his graduation he would be part of the Mariwasa main team.

However Mariano Araneta was not able to play in the MICAA when it was supplanted by the Philippine Basketball Association in 1975 as the top-flight basketball league in the Philippines.

Mariano Araneta decided to focus on finishing his studies in UP over playing competitive basketball.

Mariano Araneta helped the football team of the University of the Philippines in winning three titles.

Mariano Araneta won his first National League Championship title as part of the U-Tex football team.

Mariano Araneta then transferred to CDCP where he won another National League title.

Mariano Araneta later won six more titles for Philippine Air Force FC.

Mariano Araneta played for the Philippines national football team from 1975 to 1985.

Mariano Araneta was part of the Philippine squad that played at the 1977 and 1983 Southeast Asian Games.

Mariano Araneta served as head coach of the Philippines at the 1993 Philippine International Football Cup which was hosted at the Paglaum Stadium.

Almost a year later, Mariano Araneta was elected as president on November 26,2011, at a PFF congress held at the Astoria Plaza in Pasig.

In February 2017, it was reported that Mariano Araneta was one of the then eight candidates vying for the Asian Football Confederation's four spots at the FIFA Council.

On November 29,2019, Mariano Araneta won a third term as PFF President in the elections held during the 16th PFF Congress.

Mariano Araneta was challenged by Negros Occidental Football Association President Ricky Yanson for the post.

Mariano Araneta secured 23 votes from the PFF voting members in contrast to Yanson's 12.

Mariano Araneta was succeeded by John Gutierrez, though he retains his role as FIFA council member and ASEAN Football Federation vice president.

Mariano Araneta served as the chef de mission of the Philippine delegation for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the country's most successful performance at the tournament with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz winning the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal.