Canada’s overseas friendlies tour of Europe continues on Sunday with a game against Germany at the Lohrheidestadion-Wattenscheid in Bochum, kickoff 4pm CET.

Once a perennial powerhouse in European play, Germany returned to international competition and finished fourth in the 2024/25 IFAF European Championships.

Germany sealed Group D with a 42-6 win over Sweden having won 49-11 away to Great Britain. With head coach Christian Rothe at the helm, Germany lost 30-9 to eventual champions Austria in the semifinals of the Final Four and missed out on a bronze medal in a narrow 17-14 defeat to Italy.

Germany claimed bronze medals at the 2003 and 2007 IFAF World Championships. They won gold in the IFAF European Championships in 2001, 2010 and 2014.

Canada’s senior men’s team, which has appeared once in the IFAF World Championship, earning silver in 2011, has been revived after a long absence. Canada edged Italy 20-17 in an exciting close encounter at the Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan on November 9 as the hosts narrowly failed to force overtime with a missed 42-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

Canada also beat an experimental Italy team 56-0 back in April. Canada’s Jamel Lyles has scored five touchdowns during those two games, while Germany quarterback Lars Heidrich threw touchdowns during the IFAF Final Four tournament.