IFAF tackling football around the world

From Europe to the Americas to Oceania. Men’s, women’s and youth tackle football the world over continues to provide a steady stream of entertainment on the gridiron through official IFAF competitions.

Men’s tackle football – The Final Four

From October 25-28, Dusseldorf and Krefeld in Germany will host the pinnacle of the men’s game when the 2024/25 continental champion will be crowned at the IFAF European Championships Final Four. No other international tournament in world tackle football comes close to rivaling the long-established Euros.

Three-time champion Germany, reigning champions Austria, five-time winner Finland and triple gold medalist Italy battled through qualifying games last year to secure their place in the Final Four.

Finland and Italy will kick off the action on October 25, at Benrath Stadion in Düsseldorf in a repeat of the inaugural final played in 1983 when Italy became the first goal medalists 42 years ago. The long-awaited clash between Germany and traditional rival Austria will be played on the opening day at Grotenburg Stadion in Krefeld. The last time these two nations met Germany claimed gold with a three-point win in Vienna in 2014.

The kings of the continent will clash to contest the gold medal game and the right to wear the European crown on October 28 in Krefeld.

“European nations have consistently competed across the continent during a span of five decades and this promises to be one of the most exciting conclusions to a tournament in our sport’s history,” said IFAF President Pierre Trochet. “A different nation has won the European crown in each of the past four competitions and three of those will be in action this October, with a returning powerhouse making this an incredibly competitive Final Four tournament.”

While the battle for medals rages in Germany, four nations who were defeated in the group stages are contesting the fifth through eight places. Denmark, Hungary, Sweden and Czechia meet in July and August then play the deciding games that will determine their order of finish in October.

Women’s tackle football

Two-time European champion Finland opened the 2025/26 IFAF Women’s European Championships with a 21-7 home victory over Germany in May at the Myyrmäen Jalkapallostadion in Vantaa.

The Finns next travel to Great Britain in August, a week before defending champions Spain visit Germany. Spain became the IFAF Women’s European champions for the first time in 2023/24 when a thrilling 21-16 victory over 2022 IFAF World Championships silver medalists Great Britain earned them a third straight victory.

Considered underdogs as newcomers to the tournament, Spain beat Germany and defending two-time (2015, 2019) champions Finland, leaving head coach Manuel Ibañez’s charges as the continent’s only unbeaten team at 3-0. Great Britain beat Finland 21-14 to claim the silver medal over the Finns on a head-to-head tiebreaker, while Germany finished fourth overall.

“We anticipate a very competitive series of games and truly appreciate the effort that all four nations put in to ensure the ongoing interest in this competition,” said IFAF Sport Manager Lars Carlsen.

The IFAF Women’s European Championships will conclude in May and August of 2026.

Men’s tackle football – Central American Championships

IFAF sanctions the historic first 2025 IFAF Central America Championships, which kicked off in Honduras in April as four nations battled for the region’s international tackle football crown in the nation’s capital Tegucigalpa.

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are at the midway point of the tournament action, which now moves to El Salvador where the concluding group games will determine matchups for the Gold Medal and Bronze Medal games to be played on Sunday, July 27.

Honduras is in pole position having won its first two games, followed by Nicaragua and Guatemala, who have a 1-1 record, and El Salvador who lost their opening two contests.

“This is another significant step for tackle football in Central America as the four nations are now consistently entering competitions, with this the first taking one place as a sanctioned IFAF event,” says IFAF Director for the Americas Javier L’Episcopo.

Under-19 tackle football

The continent’s top ranked junior national teams are competing in the 2024/25 IFAF U19 European Championships, which were first established in 1992, as Austria, Finland and Sweden all eye the coveted crown.

Reigning champion Austria claimed the highest-ever placing by a European nation at the 2024 IFAF U20 Junior World Championships last summer in Edmonton, Canada, by beating the United States in the bronze medal game. Having earned a bye to the knockout stages, Austria joined the competition and beat Finland 41-14 on the road.

Sweden then set up a winner-takes-all final game against Austria for the title with a 24-21 overtime win over Finland. Sweden now travels to the Football Zentrum in Innsbruck on Sunday, September 21, hoping to dethrone the six-time defending champion Austrians and win a first Euros crown having finished as runners up in 2019 and 2022. Finland will take the bronze medal with an 0-2 final stages record.

To determine fourth though seventh placings Germany will take on Denmark for fourth place while Czechia and Italy contest sixth place overall having kicked off their round of games back in April.

“We saw in Canada that Austria can compete with the world’s best nations in this age group, and they will be in no mood to relinquish their hold on this competition,” said IFAF Director of Competitions Fabio Tortosa.

Austria has dominated the competition since 2011, winning six straight titles. Finland won the first three championships (1992, 1994, 1996) while four-time silver medalist Sweden seeks a first tournament win.

Tackle football friendlies

As the sport’s worldwide governing body, IFAF endorses and offers support to friendly games being played between national teams.

In Oceania, Australia and New Zealand will meet on July 12, rekindling a rivalry that back in 2008 saw New Zealand triumph in an Oceania continental qualifying match to advance to the inaugural 2009 IFAF Junior World Championships.

Belgium is developing as a nation on the international tackle stage and is planning to host Norway in an international friendly later this year.

Absent from IFAF competition since 2011, Canada is leading the way in inter-continental friendly game competition and has proven there is an appetite for some intriguing match ups between national teams from the Americas and Europe. Canada traveled to Cagliari back in April to take on an experimental Italy squad and emerged as 56-0 winner, scoring in all three phases of the game. Canada returns to Europe in November to take on Germany .