Flag Football will now grace the world's stage in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
IFAF, the NFL and USA Football have joined forces to welcome today's vote of the IOC Session in Mumbai, India, which will include American football on the official itinerary of the Olympic Games for the first time in history when flag football makes its debut appearance in Los Angeles 2028.
Today's unprecedented decision follows prior recommendations and efforts by the IOC Executive Board, IOC Olympic Program Commission and Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee and concludes a two-year process of evaluation.
It comes after IFAF and the NFL formed Vision28, a joint venture and partnership model, that places flag football at the heart of sport development aspirations globally.
Flag football -- a short, non-contact and gender-equal format, renowned as the most accessible and inclusive version of American football -- is spearheading worldwide participation growth in American football, especially among women and girls.
An estimated 20 million individuals in more than 100 countries currently play flag football, which is growing in tandem with the exploding international popularity of the NFL, as America's favorite spectator sport continues to build on a national fanbase of 340 million.
This year will see 65 national representative teams participate in IFAF's continental flag football competition, building towards the largest-ever IFAF World Flag Football Championship to be held in Lahti, Finland in August 2024.
"Congratulations to the International Federation of American Football on this landmark achievement for flag football and the global community that loves and plays our game," said Roger Goodell, National Football League Commissioner. "The NFL is committed to working together to strengthen flag football's place in the Olympic movement long term, and we look forward to continuing this exciting journey with IFAF, the LA28 Organizing Committee, the International Olympic Committee and USA Football."
