The biggest global event in flag football ahead of the sport’s historic Olympic debut at LA28
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has announced that the City of Düsseldorf will host the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships on 13-16 August, marking a major milestone in the sport’s journey toward its Olympic debut at LA28.
The Championships will take place at Düsseldorf’s state-of-the-art, dedicated flag football complex, the first in Germany, opened earlier this year by the City of Düsseldorf and the NFL’s New England Patriots. The local organising committee’s project lead is the city’s events agency, D.SPORTS, which has proven experience delivering numerous major sporting events in Düsseldorf.
The venue will welcome the top 16 men’s and women’s national teams from around the world, in a new, highly competitive format. It follows an expanded qualification process featuring the four 2025 IFAF Flag Football Continental Championships, which kicked off with the first-ever Championships in Africa last month.
The event will see a new approach to event presentation, drawing on the city’s world-class major event experience and supported by the NFL’s renowned expertise in promotion, fan engagement and production. This innovative approach highlights the long-term partnership between IFAF and the NFL, with flag football the cornerstone of their shared strategy for international growth.
Media Day – IFAF World Championships 2026 Düsseldorf am 24.07.2025, Duesseldorf. ; Foto: Kenny Beele
Pierre Trochet, President of IFAF, said:
“This will be a game-changing edition of the Flag Football World Championships, a landmark moment for the sport and for our global community. Düsseldorf’s strong connection to American football and passionate fan base, make it an exceptional host for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.
“The event will be a crucial milestone for national teams battling for a place in the Olympic Games and a fantastic opportunity for fans to discover the stars of a sport that is exploding worldwide.”
Dr. Stephan Keller, Lord Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf added:
“As host of the 2026 Flag Football World Championships, Düsseldorf will welcome athletes from all over the world and offer them an ideal stage for this action-packed sport. By hosting the World Championships, we hope to get even more people in Germany excited about flag football. Düsseldorf has a special connection to American football. The city has been promoting this sport for decades, hosted the first American football festival and congress in Europe in 2025, and has extensive experience in hosting world-class sporting events.”
Nationally, Germany’s passion for American football is surging, with 20 million NFL fans and four regular season NFL games hosted since 2022. A fifth game is coming up in Berlin later this year. Germany is ranked 4th (Men) and 8th (Women) in the IFAF flag football world rankings, with the country’s elite talent powering even greater interest in flag and set to inspire a new generation of athletes and fans.
“To see the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships come to Germany is incredibly special,” said Mona Stevens, quarterback of the German women’s national team and Global Flag Football Ambassador. “Flag football is growing fast here, and I know the fans will bring amazing energy. It’s going to be unforgettable.”
The Championships promise a spectacular festival of flag football and with the huge appetite and excitement for flag football in Germany, it is anticipated that there will be a high demand for tickets.