After two days of group play, the road to a 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championship gold medal is fixed. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played on Saturday in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The US men’s and women’s teams are in the Final 8, although the world was surprised when American Samoa ended the men’s teams’ 14-year unbeaten streak on Friday. Both teams finished with 2-1 group play records to advance to the quarters.
Team USA will face Japan in the men’s quarterfinals. American Samoa, on the other side of the bracket, will face Canada in the quarters.
If the USA beats Japan, they will face the winner of the game between Mexico and Panama. The winner of Canada/American Samoa will get the winner of Germany and Italy.
In the women’s team, the US team opens with host Germany. The winner of that one gets the winner of the match between Great Britain and Panama.
On the other side of the bracket, Mexico plays Spain and Cananda plays Switzerland.
This year’s world championships begin the Road to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where flag football will make its debut. The US men’s and women’s teams have already locked up their berths in LA as the host nation, but the other 30 nations are vying for two men’s and two women’s berths in the 2028 tournaments. This makes Düsseldorf much more than just another international tournament. There will be 10 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams competing for gold in 2028.
