The Canadian women’s flag football team has secured a spot in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles after defeating Mexico 20-6 in the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championship semifinal held in Duesseldorf, Germany. Head coach Rachel Lessard expressed her pride in the team, emphasizing their discipline, resilience, and trust that led to this achievement. The team’s success reflects the growing prominence of Canadian flag football, with the opportunity to carry this momentum to the Olympic stage.
In the men’s and women’s world championships, the top two countries qualify for the 2028 Olympics, with an additional spot available if the host country, the United States, reaches the final. The Canadian women will face the U.S. in the world title match, while Mexico and Britain will compete for the last women’s Olympic berth in the bronze-medal game.
Despite a 41-36 loss to Italy in the men’s semifinal, the Canadian men still have a chance to secure an Olympic spot in the bronze-medal match against Mexico. The U.S. will compete against Italy for the men’s gold medal at the world championship.
Both the Canadian men and women displayed strong performances in the quarterfinals, with the women defeating the U.S. 34-33 at the USA Football Summer Series. Football Canada’s CEO, Eva Havaris, commended the women’s team for their hard work and exceptional performance, expressing excitement for their participation in the Olympics.
Notable individual performances included Sara Parker’s 107 passing yards in the women’s semifinal, with Silvia Contreras leading in receiving yards and scoring a touchdown. Caroline Moquin-Joubert and Alexane Fournier also contributed touchdowns. In the men’s semifinal, James Drysdale stood out with 76 receiving yards and a touchdown, supported by Jackson Tachinski and Antony Auclair’s scoring efforts.