Mexico is in no mood to relinquish the crown they won at The World Games in 2022.

Three years ago in Birmingham, Alabama, the women’s national flag football team ran riot at Legion Field, defeating rival the United States 39-6. This August Mexico defends that title in China with Japan, Italy and Great Britain standing in their way in the group stages before there is any talk of a rematch with USA.

The first steps on the Road to Chengdu came back in August when Mexico qualified for The World Games having finished as silver medalists at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships. That foe from across the border had denied Mexico a fourth gold medal to add to titles won in 2004, 2008 and 2012. The Americans also prevailed when the two nations met in the Americas continental championships in 2023.

“It is very important (to win) in any competition where we are representing our country,” says head coach Fernando Alfaro. “It is extremely important to win The World Games when we have already obtained the gold, and it is the only thing we want. We work for that, so it is really very important. We are going to fight for it.

Mexico’s journey towards defending their title continued at a national tournament held in November where coaches analyzed player performances to determine which athletes would be invited to attend training camps and tryouts. That process gathered pace from January through March with cuts being made periodically until the final roster is determined.

The number two ranked team in the world still sees room for improvement and is targeting a way to become continental champions as well as The World Games winners. A 21-player squad list released after the latest evaluation camp in late March features new names challenging established faces for roster spots.

“We have planned to strengthen the team, really work a lot on the physical part to develop them and to continue working on football elements,” added Alfaro. “They are studying the system of play that we want to implement and with practice, we will be able to achieve that.

“There is a lot of talent, a generation that is growing. We have many players competing for a place with great possibilities. The decision to cut people since they have belonged to the national team that has put the name of Mexico high is always going to be a complicated decision, but they are also aware that the competition is strong and that we must improve.”

Back in 2022, Mexico topped Pool B at The World Games with a 3-0 record having beaten Japan, Italy and Brazil. Knockout round victories over France and Panama set up their famous victory over the United States. The champions were the tournament’s top scorers with 241 points and conceded a competition best 38 points. At the 2025 edition, Mexico will face two continental champions and a resurgent Canada in the group stages.

“The World Games will be a tough competition because the teams are strong in our group,” says Alfaro. “It is complicated because Japan that has grown a lot in flag football and Great Britain and Canada are teams that have really raised their level a lot. They are going to be great rivals.”

Despite knowing those group stages are of immediate importance and will determine whether Mexico has an opportunity to defend its crown, traditional nemesis the United States are always in mind when it comes to The World Games and the continental championships.

“Our team has to try to occupy that number one position,” explains Alfaro. “It will always be a great rivalry, of that there is no doubt, and they are preparing and improving more and more. We have to be very studious in the tactical part of our game to make sure we win.”

Alfaro’s philisophy when it comes to forging the path forward and selecting the 12-player roster that can make Mexico’s dreams a reality takes two tracks.

“One is discipline over talent,” he explains. “You can be very talented, but if you don't have discipline, you won't be able to be with us, representing the team.

“The other one is ‘think gold’. If they think gold, it's not only something you do for football, in practice, it's based on your daily life. How do you want to live your life, how do you want to represent your country in everything?”

One thing is certain. Those 12 players who eventually represent Mexico this summer will have gold on their minds.