The Canadian women’s flag football squad secured a spot at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles after outplaying Mexico 20-6 in a crucial International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championship semifinal held in Duesseldorf, Germany.
Expressing her pride in the team’s accomplishment, Rachel Lessard, the head coach of the Canadian women’s team, emphasized the significance of discipline, resilience, and trust within the team that culminated in this remarkable achievement. She highlighted the team’s deserving qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games following their success at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football world championships.
With the sport of flag football set to debut at the Olympics, the top two nations from both the men’s and women’s world championships earn direct entry to the 2028 event. However, if the United States, as the host nation, reaches the final, the top three teams in the tournament secure a spot for Los Angeles.
The Canadian women’s team is set to face the U.S. in the world championship final after the U.S. defeated Britain 27-21 in the semifinals. Mexico and Britain will compete for the remaining women’s Olympic slot in the bronze-medal match.
While the Canadian men faced a 41-36 defeat against Italy in the semifinals, they still have an opportunity to secure an Olympic berth in the bronze-medal match against Mexico. The U.S. will battle Italy for the men’s gold at the world championship.
Apart from the world championships, countries can also qualify for the 2028 Olympics through continental championships next year and a subsequent qualifying series. In the quarterfinals, Canada’s men triumphed over American Samoa 24-14, and the women secured a 40-12 victory against Austria.
Eva Havaris, the CEO of Football Canada, commended the women’s flag football team for their hard work and exceptional performance, expressing immense pride in their official qualification for the Olympics and anticipating their success in Los Angeles.
Key players in the semifinal victories included Sara Parker, Silvia Contreras, Caroline Moquin-Joubert, Alexane Fournier, James Drysdale, Jackson Tachinski, and Antony Auclair, all contributing significantly to their respective teams’ performances.