While the flag football community is already eagerly awaiting the 2028 Olympic Games, all eyes will be on the upcoming World Championship in Finland in the coming days. Not only will the best teams in the world be crowned at this tournament, but the sport's readiness for the Olympics will also be put to the test.
The 2024 Flag Football World Championship will feature a record 32 men's and 23 women's teams. All continents will be represented, a good sign for the growth and popularity of the sport. For many teams, it will be the first showdown on such a big stage. I don't expect any big surprises, the favorites are the same as at the last big tournaments. However, it should not be underestimated that the World Championship is the first major international tournament following the announcement of the decision to make flag football an Olympic sport in 2028. It remains to be seen whether some nations have already taken their first internal steps in preparation for the Olympic Games. What do I mean by that?
Basically, it is unlikely that the balance of power will shift significantly within a few years. However, one X-factor should not be ignored: Tackle football players who also want to try their hand at flag football because of their Olympic ambitions. There have always been nations that have used tackle players occasionally and with great success. The Italian team showed world-class performances with quarterback Luke Zahradka and receiver Jordan Bouah at the 2021 World Championships and the 2022 World Games. In the following years, the two played in the semi-professional European League of Football and were therefore not available for the Italian national flag football team. The result was that Italy lost its competitiveness.
In many countries, a debate has broken out as to whether to concentrate on players who only play flag football when putting together the squad or, like Germany for example, to allow anyone to come to an open trial where the best players - whether tackle footballers or not - are nominated. The sporadic use of tackle footballers has certainly contributed to Germany's rise back to the top nations after many years of drought, and winning the 2023 European Championship was proof of this. Canada and Japan are nations that have achieved great success in tackle football, but are clearly lagging behind in flag football. Should they decide to go down the Olympic route with tackle footballers, I expect them to make significant improvements in performance.
As was to be expected, the debate on this topic has already flared up in the USA. US quarterback Darrell Doucette recently complained that various NFL stars assumed that they could represent Team USA at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. According to Doucette, this would be disrespectful to the current US flag football stars who have dominated their international competition in recent years. In his opinion, there should at least be some sort of tryout to find the best players for Team USA. The closer we get to 2028, the more heated this discussion will become.
I don't (yet) expect any big surprises at this year's World Championships. The favorites to reach the final in both the men's and women's competitions are the USA and Mexico. In the men's event, Germany will be the team to beat in the battle for the bronze medal. I also think Austria, Panama and Denmark have a good chance. My tip for third place in the women's competition is Austria, while Great Britain could also have a say in the battle for third place.
The World Championships, which begin on Tuesday in Lahti with the group matches, will set new standards in many areas. A record number of teams, much more professional media work by IFAF, a strong local organizing committee, the use of new statistical software and far more media coverage than at any previous World Championships promise a flag football spectacle in a class of its own.
The coming years will be decisive in determining flag football's place in the global sporting landscape. If the sport can continue its upward trend by mastering the challenges and utilizing the opportunities, it can succeed in establishing itself sustainably in the global sports landscape.
