The Canadian women’s flag football team has secured a spot at 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 pride in the team’s discipline, resilience, and trust that led to this achievement.

Canada’s success means they will be among the top two countries from the men’s and women’s world championships to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, where flag football will make its debut. The United States, as the host nation, has also secured a spot, ensuring that the top three finishers from the championships qualify for the event.

The Canadian women’s team will 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 berth in the bronze-medal game.

On the men’s side, Canada fell to Italy 41-36 in the semifinals but still has a chance to secure an early Olympic ticket in the bronze-medal match against Mexico. The U.S. emerged victorious over Mexico in their semifinal match and will compete against Italy for the men’s gold medal.

In addition to the world championships, countries can qualify for the 2028 Olympics through next year’s continental championships and a subsequent qualifying series. The Canadian teams had strong performances in the quarterfinals, with the women defeating Austria 40-12 and the men triumphing over American Samoa 24-14.

Football Canada’s CEO, Eva Havaris, commended the women’s team for their hard work and outstanding performance, expressing excitement for their upcoming Olympic journey. Key players in the semifinals included Sara Parker, Silvia Contreras, Caroline Moquin-Joubert, and Alexane Fournier for the women, and James Drysdale, Jackson Tachinski, and Antony Auclair for the men.