2028 Olympics Update

                                                                   FLAG FOOTBALL GOES GLOBAL!

Flag football's Olympic debut in 2028 in Los Angeles is for men and women.  

The decision to add flag football to the 2028 Summer Olympic program in Los Angeles is an acknowledgment of the sport's tremendous international growth and appeal as a fast, exciting and competitive sport.  

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell declared that he wants flag football “to be included in the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games,” according to David Riccio of the Melbourne HERALD-SUN. Goodell “is passionate” about flag football’s debut at the 2028 L.A. Games, where men’s and women’s competitions will be featured at the Olympics for the first time. The sports chosen for the Brisbane Olympics will be determined later this year, and Goodell “is adamant” that flag football needs to be part of it. Goodell said, “I think the LA (Games) is a great start, we’re already seeing tremendous interest in playing the game, both for men and women.” He added, “And I think it’s going to be a great thing at ’32 in Brisbane, we hope” (Melbourne HERALD-SUN, 2/26) 

With 20 million players across 100 countries, flag football is already a global game—and now, the Olympics is giving women and men the chance to represent on the world’s biggest stage. With flag officially added to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028, a new generation of athletes can compete at the highest level. Whether your journey starts in a FLAG League, in high school, through a national team pipeline, or on the international stage, the Olympic dream is more accessible than ever. 
first-ever flag football tournament at the IV South American Youth Games Panama 2026 (Juegos Suramericanos de la Juventud) in April.

The participation of Under-17 boys’ and girls’ teams representing Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela is sanctioned by IFAF as part of a growing number of youth-focused tournaments being held worldwide. The annual IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships will take place in Italy this year, while 2025 saw youth flag events played on three continents in Austria, China and Panama.
The flag football games will be played at the Emilio Royo Stadium in Panama City from April 17 to 19 as part of the regional multi-sport event organized by ODESUR (Organizacion Deportiva Suramericana), which has 15 member nations. The games are held every four years, consistent with the current Olympic Games format.

Argentina, Brazil, Panama and Uruguay will contest the boys’ U17 tournament while Brazil, Panama and Venezuela will compete in the girls’ U17 category. A double round robin tournament played on the first two days will determine the knockout and finals stages for Sunday, April 19. The full schedule of games will be released next week.
“We are honored to bring flag football to these illustrious youth games for the first time,” said IFAF Director for the Americas Javier L’Episcopo. “We look forward to some very competitive games and exciting action from young players whose dreams of becoming a new generation of Olympic Games athletes start here.”
The first edition of the South American Youth Games  was held in Peru in 2013 then in Santiago, Chile (2017); and Rosario, Argentina (2022). Panama is the fourth games and the first held in Central America.

Which nations are flag football powerhouses?
In both men’s and women’s flag football, the United States are the top ranked team, and have won the last world championships in their sport. Considering that top tackle American football players like Patrick Mahomes have talked about wanting to play flag football, the U.S. will likely only continue to improve during the run-up to LA28.

Mexico is another country which rules flag football both on the men’s and women’s side of the sport. Diana Flores is such a well-known player in flag football that she was chosen to star in an NFL commercial, and Mexico is ranked second in the world in both men’s and women’s flag football.

Other countries that have shown promise in flag football include Germany, Japan and Canada, but as the LA 28 Games near, it’s likely more countries will continue to emerge.

Receiver Tyreek Hill, one of the most enthusiastic competitors in last year's Pro Bowl flag game. Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown and Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, who joined Hill in being voted to this season's All-Pro team, have thrown their hats in the ring too. Minnesota Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson, who stars in a commercial for flag football that airs regularly during NFL games, seems like another possibility.

Is Joe Burrow Olympics-bound?
"I think it's exciting," Burrow told Glenn Cole at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France last June.  "I think it's going to be great for the game. ... That would be exciting to play in, that'd be a lot of fun. Especially when I think, the Olympics is such an international brand. But when that starts to happen, that's going to really grow the game a lot."

Venus Williams says “It’s great for me to be able to branch into something like flag football. I think there were probably a lot of girls who thought they wouldn't be able to play football, but now here they are; girls are playing this sport and playing it well.  So I think this is a great opportunity for me to be inspired by these young women”. 

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