The IFAF 2026 Flag Football World Championship will be one of the most important events in the history of the sport. It will not only bring together the top 16 women’s and 16 men’s national teams from around the world, but it will also mark a decisive step for flag football toward its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
Organized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the event will take place from August 13 to 16, 2026, in Düsseldorf, Germany, a city with a strong American football tradition that has become one of the sport’s global hubs thanks to the rise of the NFL in the country.
Where it will take place: A historic venue specialized in Flag Football
The World Championship will be held at Düsseldorf’s new flag football-specific complex, the first of its kind in Germany. This facility was inaugurated in 2025 alongside the New England Patriots, who have played a key role in expanding flag football in Europe. It features infrastructure designed specifically for flag football: regulation-size fields, broadcast areas, optimized stands, practice zones, fan experience areas, and media/content rooms.
How to get to the Patriots complex in Düsseldorf – Flag Football World Championship 2026
The New England Patriots facility is located at Bezirkssportanlage Koblenzer Straße. It is very close to the urban area, just 25 minutes from Düsseldorf International Airport and 25 minutes by direct train from Düsseldorf Central Station (S6 line). The venue’s location will facilitate fan attendance, making the World Championship an exciting sporting event with a great atmosphere.
A New, More Competitive Game Format
The 2026 World Championship has introduced a renewed format that will raise the level of the tournament:
- 16 teams per division (men’s and women’s).
- Qualification through the 4 IFAF 2025 Continental Championships.
- A points system that assigns additional slots based on each continent’s historical performance.
- Maximum of 6 nations per continent in each category.
- Germany automatically qualified as host.
This format comes after the success of 2024, where 32 men’s teams and 23 women’s teams participated in the Flag Football World Championship in Finland, and now aims to elevate the level toward the Olympic goal.
The 32 Teams Qualified for the 2026 Flag Football World Championship
Following the conclusion of the 2025 continental tournaments (including Asia-Oceania), the countries that will compete in Germany have already been determined:
Men´s Division (16)
- Germany (host)
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Austria
- Brazil
- Canada
- France
- Great Britain
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Panama
- Switzerland
- United States
Women´s Division (16)
- Germany (host)
- Australia
- Austria
- Brazil
- Canada
- France
- Great Britain
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Panama
- China
- Slovenia
- Spain
- United States
What to expect from this Top-Level Competition
The qualification format of this World Championship – through slots for the top teams from each continent -ensures that in Düsseldorf we will see only the true global flag football powerhouses.
Moreover, several top nations are arriving with renewed strategies and squads as they aim to position themselves for 2028, such as:
- United States (historical dominator)
- Mexico (global power, especially in women’s flag)
- Brazil, Japan, France, Panama (programs with explosive growth)
- China and Australia (new contenders after dominating Asia-Oceania)
This will make the 2026 World Championship the most tactically sophisticated, fast-paced, and competitive tournament flag football has ever seen.
Official Groups for the IFAF 2026 World Championship
In November 2025, IFAF announced the official groups that will face off at the Flag Football World Championship. The groups for Düsseldorf 2026 combine established champions, emerging new powers, and host teams, ensuring high-level matches from the very first stage.
To increase visibility and highlight the significant impact of this competition, IFAF involved major sport figures to announce the groups. Among these personalities are: Eli Manning, Drew Brees, and Sebastian Vollmer (Global Flag Ambassadors and former NFL players), Troy Vincent (NFL Legend and EVP of NFL Operations), Liz Sowers (former professional USA player), and of course, Pierre Trochet, IFAF President worldwide.
MEN – IFAF World Championship Düsseldorf 2026 Groups
| GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D |
| USA | Austria | Mexico | Italy |
| Australia | Japan | Switzerland | France |
| Israel | Canada | Germany | Great Britain |
| American Samoa | Nigeria | Brazil | Panama |
WOMEN – IFAF World Championship Düsseldorf 2026 Groups
| GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D |
| Mexico | USA | Great Britain | Canada |
| Italy | Spain | Austria | Japan |
| Germany | Australia | France | Panama |
| Slovenia | Nigeria | China | Brazil |
The placement of teams in the groups for the 2026 World Championship has been determined according to the IFAF 2025 World Ranking.
Matchups based on the 2025 Flag Football Ranking
This Flag Football ranking reflects the performance of national flag football teams over the past three years, taking into account official IFAF tournaments such as the World Championships, The World Games, and Continental Championships.
The system uses an adapted Elo Rating, awarding points based on wins, losses, draws, and tournament achievements (gold, silver, and bronze medals, final positions, etc.), while teams that do not participate receive penalties to prevent inflating their ranking.
Mexico Women’s Team leads the Flag Football Ranking
In 2025, Mexico reached the number one spot globally in the women’s division after winning double gold at The World Games and Americas Flag, while the United States remains at the top in the men’s division, followed by Austria and Mexico, confirming a level of competition that promises an exciting and strategic World Championship.
| TOP WOMEN FLAG FOOTBALL WORLDWIDE | TOP MEN FLAG FOOTBALL WORLDWIDE |
| MEXICO | USA |
| USA | AUSTRIA |
| GRAN BRETAÑA | MEXICO |
| CANADA | ITALIA |
| JAPON | FRANCIA |
Heading to Los Angeles 2028
The Düsseldorf World Championship will be a key milestone on the Olympic path. The participating teams will not only compete for the world title, but also aim to secure positions for the upcoming spots leading to the debut of flag football at the Olympic Games. The global growth of the sport has been driven by international stars like Diana Flores (Mexico) and Vanita Krouch (USA), who have helped make flag football an inclusive, dynamic, and accessible sport for all ages.
At Cloob, we are experiencing this journey toward the 2026 Flag Football World Championship with an excitement that is hard to describe. Watching flag football grow, professionalize, reach new countries, and prepare for the Olympics is a privilege that marks a new era for our sport.
Düsseldorf 2026 will be a turning point, the moment when flag football shows the world its full potential. A stage where talent, passion, innovation, and a global community intersect and continue to grow. On our side, we will keep supporting the nations that trust Cloob to help them reach their maximum potential. We are thrilled about everything ahead for this sport and will be sharing all updates through our social media channels.