Men’s and women’s teams from five nations will open the 2026 South American Regional Flag Football Championship in Colombia on Thursday.

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Venezuela will all converge on Medellín for the tournament that is endorsed by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and runs from June 26-28.

Men’s and women’s round robin tournaments will feature four nations that participated at the 2025 IFAF Americas Flag continental championships in 2025 and a newcomer in Venezuela at Cancha de Fútbol Marte No. 1 beside the Atanasio Girardot Stadium.

Friday and Saturday will feature the group stages with ten games per day before knockout rounds on Sunday. Quarterfinals and semifinals will be followed by the Men’s Gold Medal Game at 6pm on June 28 and the Women’s Gold Medal Game at 7.15pm.

Brazil’s teams will compete less than two months before they head to Düsseldorf, Germany, to participate in the IFAF World Flag championships with the aim of winning a medal and earning qualification for the LA28 Olympic Games.

Men’s tournament:

Argentina is ranked 23^rd in the world and finished in sixth place at the 2025 IFAF America Flag continental championships. Two years early they emerged on top from a round robin tournament for fifth place ahead of Brazil and Chile. At the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland, Argentina beat Kuwait and Singapore but did not qualify for the Round of 16 knockout stages.

Brazil is South America’s highest placed nation in the 2025 IFAF Flag Football World Rankings in 17^th place and qualified for this summer’s IFAF World Flag in Germany having finished fifth at the 2025 Americas Flag continental championships. Two years earlier they finished seventh overall and did not advance to the knockout stages of the 2024 or 2021 IFAF world championships.

Chile was the highest placed South America finisher (24^th) at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships and is ranked 25^th in the world having finished 6^th in 2023 and 8^th in 2025 at the Americas Flag continentals.

Colombia made its international debut on the flag football world stage at the 2025 Americas Flag continentals in Panama, finishing 9^th overall and achieved a first-ever world ranking of 49^th.

Venezuela makes its debut in international competition at the 2026 South America Flag Football Regional Championship.

Women’s tournament:

Argentina entered the world stage for the first time at the 2025 Americas Flag continentals and finished 8^th overall, earning an IFAF World Ranking of 41^st.

Brazil is South America’s highest ranked team at 15^th and qualified for this summer’s IFAF World Flag in Germany having finished fifth at the 2025 Americas Flag continental championships, as they had in 2023. Brazil finished in fourth place at the 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, missing out on a bronze medal in a defeat to Austria and qualified for The World Games in 2022.

Chile returns to international competition having missed the 2025 IFAF Americas, a competition in which they finished 6^th in 2023. They are ranked 45^th in the world.

Colombia made its international debut on the flag football world stage at the 2025 Americas Flag continentals in Panama, finishing 7^th overall and achieved a first-ever world ranking of 37^th.

Venezuela makes its debut in international competition at the 2026 South America Flag Football Regional Championship. The Girls’ U17 team was a surprise silver medalist at the IV South American Youth Games Panama 2026 in April having beaten Brazil 26-18.

Schedule

Friday, June 26 (all times local)

Saturday, June 27 (all times local)

Sunday, June 28 (all times local)