Montreal and Orlando to host flag football in the Olympic Q-Series
Flag football’s road to LA28 will pass through Montreal and Orlando.
The International Olympic Committee has announced that the two North American cities will play host to flag football when it makes its first appearance in the Olympic Q-Series in 2028.
The final three men’s and women’s flag football national team qualification spots for LA28 will be determined across these events, as teams aim to join host the United States and the two nations that qualify for LA28 through IFAF World Flag 2026.
A total of 10 men’s and 10 women’s teams (2 per continent) will qualify to participate in the Olympic Q-Series via the 2027 IFAF Continental Championships,
Two LA28 berths per gender will be awarded from the tournaments at the historic Olympic Park in Montreal that will be played from June 1-4, 2028. The remaining 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams will then travel to the iconic Camping World Stadium in Orlando to battle for the final LA28 qualification spot in each category from June 8-11, 2028.
Flag football is one of six youth-oriented sports that will feature in the four-stop, multi-sport Olympic Q-Series that serves as a final qualification opportunity for LA28, with athletes competing in an urban festival-style environment. Flag Football will feature in the final two stops alongside Beach Volleyball, BMX freestyle and Skateboarding Park (Montreal) and Beach Volleyball, Climbing, and Skateboarding Park (Orlando).
“Flag football is a natural fit for the Olympic Q-Series, which emphasizes youth culture in festival-style settings,” said IFAF President Pierre Trochet. “This is the perfect way to build momentum and extend opportunities for athletes to compete in an Olympic-style environment in 2028. To have flag football at two of these stops, where Montreal and Orlando were both eager to host flag football, is a statement of growing excitement around our sport.”
IFAF is committed to ensuring the best teams will be present when flag football makes its historic Olympic Games debut. Berths are highly coveted and this two-tournament final qualifier format gives all nations the best and fairest chance to punch a golden ticket to LA28.
The LA28 qualification journey kicks off this summer at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships. The event, which will also carry the Olympic Games Qualifier label for LA28 (see below) will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany from August 13-16. Two men’s and two women’s berths will be awarded for the six-team Olympic Games tournaments.
The action from IFAF Word Flag 2026 will be available to watch live and free worldwide on DAZN, the world’s leading sports entertainment platform, as the United States defends both the men’s and women’s world titles. Tickets are now available at www.worldflag26.vivenushop.com.
