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 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Head coach Rachel Lessard expressed her pride in the team’s achievement, attributing their success to discipline, resilience, and trust. She highlighted the team’s hard work and dedication leading to the opportunity at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football world championships.
The top two countries in the men’s and women’s world championships have earned qualification for the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its debut. The U.S., as the host nation, has already qualified, with the possibility of the top three finishers also securing a spot if the U.S. reaches the final.
The Canadian women’s team is set to face the U.S. for the world title, while Mexico and Britain will compete for the remaining women’s Olympic berth in the bronze-medal match.
In the men’s category, Canada faced a defeat against Italy in the semifinals but still has a chance to secure an early Olympic ticket in the bronze-medal match against Mexico. The U.S. will compete against Italy for the men’s gold at the world championship.
Both the Canadian men and women had strong performances in the quarterfinals, with victories over American Samoa and Austria, respectively. The women’s team also achieved a notable win against the U.S. at the USA Football Summer Series.
Football Canada’s CEO, Eva Havaris, commended the women’s flag football team for their hard work and outstanding performance, expressing excitement for their upcoming participation in the Olympic Games.
Key players in the semifinals included Sara Parker, Silvia Contreras, Caroline Moquin-Joubert, Alexane Fournier, James Drysdale, Jackson Tachinski, and Antony Auclair, who made significant contributions to their teams’ performances.