With flag football poised to debut in the Olympics, Canada is vying for spots in the 2028 Los Angeles Games at this week’s world championships in Germany. The men’s and women’s Olympics tournaments will each comprise six teams, with two spots up for grabs. The host country, the United States, secures an automatic entry, while the remaining spots will be determined through a qualifying process in Montreal in June 2028.
Although not essential for Olympic qualification, securing a spot at the world championships would eliminate the need to compete in the last-chance qualifier over the next two years.
Sixteen teams are competing in both the men’s and women’s tournaments in Germany. They are divided into groups of four for the preliminary round, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stage starting Saturday. The medal games, determining the world champions and Olympic qualifiers, will take place on Sunday.
In the event that the U.S. reaches the final, a third-place finish would suffice for teams to secure an Olympic berth. This scenario could lead to intense bronze-medal matches.
The Canadian women’s team, ranked fourth globally, will kick off their group stage matches against Panama, followed by Brazil and Japan. The Canadian men will face Austria and Japan in their group matches.
The women’s team has a strong history, having won the world championship twice and clinching bronze in the previous edition. On the other hand, the men’s team, ranked 10th, last won the world title in 2008. The U.S., aiming for their sixth consecutive world championship, currently holds the top spot.
While there was speculation about NFL and CFL stars participating in flag football, it became evident during a recent exhibition tournament that the dynamics of flag football differ significantly from tackle football. Canada has fielded strong teams for the championships, including former NFL and CFL players. The action can be watched live on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports website.