Canada is one of the nations vying for spots in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as flag football prepares to debut in the prestigious event. The world championships in Germany this week will determine the first available spots, with two berths each for the men’s and women’s tournaments, consisting of six teams. The United States, a strong flag football nation, secures an automatic entry, leaving three spots per gender up for grabs through a two-stage qualifier in Montreal in June 2028.
While the world championships do not directly determine Olympic qualification, securing a spot early would relieve the pressure of the last-chance qualifier in the following years.
Sixteen teams in both the men’s and women’s tournaments are competing in Germany, divided into groups for the preliminary round, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stage. The medal matches, deciding both the world champions and Olympic qualifiers, will take place on Sunday.
Canada’s women’s team, ranked fourth globally, will face Panama, Brazil, and Japan in the group stage matches, while the men’s squad, ranked 10th, will play against Austria, Japan, and received a walkover win against Nigeria due to visa issues.
The addition of flag football to the 2028 Olympics sparked speculation about NFL and CFL stars participating for the U.S. and Canada. However, a recent exhibition tournament showcased the differences between flag and tackle football, demonstrating the strategic and physical advantages of dedicated flag football players over NFL stars.
Notable players in Canada’s national teams include former NFL tight end Antony Auclair and CFL veteran Marc-Antoine Dequoy in the men’s squad, and veteran defensive back Sabrina Gervais and quarterback Sarah Parker in the women’s team.
The flag football world championships can be watched live on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports website, with the action kicking off at 2 a.m. ET on Thursday.