Team Israel has arrived in Düsseldorf, Germany, ahead of the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, where the Israeli men will look to make history while taking their first major step toward qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The tournament, which runs from August 13-16, marks the first official global Olympic qualifying event for flag football, which will make its Olympic debut at LA28. The top two teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, excluding the already-qualified United States as host nation, will earn direct Olympic berths.
Ranked ninth in the world, Israel enters the competition with an explosive, offense-first squad led by head coach Jonathan Tekac. The team has shown its scoring ability throughout its recent international campaign, regularly surpassing 50 points per game during its qualification run at the 2025 Euro Flag tournament in Paris.
Team Israel prepares for Olympic qualification push
The squad has also undergone an intensive training program at Jerusalem’s Kraft Family Stadium, combining high-tempo execution with a demanding physical conditioning regimen.
“We’ve seen flag football go from a well-kept secret in Israel to an incredibly popular, premier sport,” said Israel captain and star defensive back Daniel Eastman. “The training regimen has been grueling, but our goal is clear: We want to solidify our place among the global elite and secure our spot for the 2028 Summer Olympics.”
Israel faces defending champion US in Group A
Israel faces an immediate test in Group A, opening its campaign Thursday against the United States, the world’s No. 1-ranked team and defending world champion. Australia, the reigning Asia-Oceania continental champion, and American Samoa, which is making its IFAF World Championship debut, round out the group.
Israel and the United States will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. local time in Düsseldorf, 2 p.m. in Israel, in what will be the first group-stage meeting between the two countries at a World Championship since flag football’s rapid global expansion.
The Americans arrive in Germany determined to maintain their dominance of the sport, having won the men’s world titles in 2021 and 2024. Their campaign is also taking place under the added spotlight of the sport’s Olympic debut.
“Everyone is going to go out there and give a little extra effort now that it is in the Olympics and the other countries want to qualify,” US quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette said. “But we are also going to have our foot on the gas as well.”
Doucette, who stands 5-foot-7, has been the quarterback for both of the United States’ recent world championship victories. The Americans also defeated two teams featuring NFL players at the inaugural Flag Football Classic in March, challenging the assumption that established NFL stars would necessarily have an advantage over experienced flag football players ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
The rapid growth of flag football in the United States has been particularly notable in the women’s game since the sport was added to the Olympic program in 2023. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, girls flag football had been sanctioned as a school sport in 12 states in June 2025. That number has since risen to 23.
American backing helps grow Israeli flag football
For Israel, the tournament represents another milestone in a sport that has developed significantly in recent years with strong support from the local football community and prominent American backing.
The national program is based at Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem, a state-of-the-art facility sponsored by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The Kraft family has supported the development of American football in Israel since 1999. The Minnesota Vikings organization and owner Mark Wilf have also invested in the growth of Israel’s flag football program, helping provide a pathway for the next generation of players with Olympic ambitions.
Israel's World Championship schedule
Israel will play three Group A games over the opening two days of the tournament. Following Thursday’s showdown with the United States, the team faces American Samoa Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Düsseldorf, 4:30 p.m. in Israel, before concluding group play against Australia at 8 a.m. local time Friday, 9 a.m. in Israel.
The United States, meanwhile, will begin its title defense against Israel before turning its attention to Australia and a potential meeting with longtime rival Mexico in the women’s competition.
With the Olympic qualification race now officially underway, the Düsseldorf tournament gives Israel an opportunity to measure itself against the world’s best while pursuing a place on the biggest stage in international sport.
Every Team Israel game will be streamed live worldwide on the official IFAF YouTube channel, while select playoff games, including the semifinals and medal matches, will be broadcast internationally on DAZN.
Reuters contributed to this report.