A free-scoring offense, a four-time silver medalist and relative newcomers make up an intriguing men’s Group G at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.

The only way to beat the group’s highest-ranked team Israel is to outscore them. That might seem rudimentary, but habitually the Israelis amass a significant number of points, so opponents will have to be prepared to enter into an offensive scrap if they’re to overcome the free scorers.

Israel posted a 3-2 world championship group stages record on home soil in 2021 with 41 points their fewest scored in one game and their 247 group points total was only two fewer than eventual champions the United States. Israel blasted 102 points in two placement games to finish ninth overall.

In the European continental championships last year Israel claimed the bronze medal with a 42-8 destruction of one of their group opponents in Finland, the previously dominant Denmark. True to form, Israel had gone toe to toe with Germany in the semifinals but lost by the odd point in 71. Israel’s pedigree includes a European silver medal from 2017 and last year’s bronze at the Euros to add to fourth place finishes in 2013, 2015 and 2019.

Denmark boasts more total medals in international flag football competition than any other nation, but an IFAF World Championships gold still eludes them. Three straight final defeats – which at least translate into an impressive haul of silver medals – came in 2006, 2008 and 2010, and there was a fourth second place finish in 2016 and a bronze in 2018.

Denmark went 3-1 at the worlds in 2021 before losing to Panama in the quarterfinals and finishing seventh overall. The World Games saw the only loss in a 2-1 group stage to USA before the Danes were beaten in the quarterfinals by Mexico.

It is on the European stage that Denmark has truly dominated with an unprecedented six straight continental titles from 2009 to 2019, along with bronze in 2003 and 2007 and that fourth-place finish behind Israel in 2023.

Ireland was unable to record a group win on home soil when hosting the 2023 IFAF European Champions in Limerick, but sent the home crowd wild with victories over Slovakia and Poland in the placement games to rank 26^th in the world

India finished 20^th overall at the last world championships having posted an 0-4 group record. In a tough Asia-Oceania continental tournament group last year, India lost to eventual medalists Australia and Japan, while beating Singapore and the Philippines to finish 11^th overall.

Photo: Ian Humes