Coaches and youth athletes from across Europe have arrived at the Spiaggia Romea Village & Residence ahead of the IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships 2026, which begin in Lido delle Nazioni in Italy on Thursday.
A record number of 33 teams representing 14 nations will compete from September 24-26 for three IFAF European titles in the U17 Boys, U17 Girls and U15 Mixed categories.
Three days of competition will turn Spiaggia Romea into the heart of European youth flag football, culminating in the championship games on Saturday, September 26, at Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini Stadium in Comacchio.
The schedule and all results are available on IFAF Play, which will chart every game live with real-time scores, statistics, standings, schedules, and updated tournament brackets. https://ifaf.play.sport/tournaments/eyc26
Games from Fields 1 & 2 and the medal games will be streamed live on the official IFAF YouTube
The competition is the largest and longest-running continental youth Flag Football championship in the world and has become a model for the progressive development of IFAF youth competitions in other regions, including Asia and the Americas. The numbers reflect the rapid growth of the sport across Europe, and this year Poland makes its debut.
The value of the tournament is demonstrated by the pathway provided towards elite international competition. More than 15 athletes who competed at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships previously took part in the European Youth Championships. Among them are Italy’s Andrea Volonnino and Daniele Latoracca, both members of the Italian men’s team that claimed the silver medal at IFAF World Flag 26 in Düsseldorf last month and qualified for the LA28 Olympic Games.
Italy is hosting the competition for the third time in the past six years (2021, 2023) as athletes taking the field are among the first generation of young flag gootball players to grow up with the Olympic dream as a tangible possibility – a prospect that is already helping drive performance and competitiveness to new levels.
Hist FIDAF (Federazione Italiana di American Football) opened the celebrations with a video message from Roberta Frisoni, Emilia-Romagna Regional Councillor for Tourism, Trade and Sport. Speakers included; Samuele Bellotti, Mayor of Comacchio; Francesca Santonastaso, Director of Spiaggia Romea Hotel & Village; Manfredi Leone, FIDAF Federal Council Member; and Lars Carlsen, IFAF Sports Manager.
In her remarks, Marcella Zappaterra highlighted the value of an event capable of bringing together sport, tourism, education and destination promotion, emphasizing how international competitions of this level can also help extend the tourism season.
“Over the next few days, Comacchio and the Delta will become the small European capital of a young sport that is already looking toward the Olympic Games,” she said, stressing that the impact of this event will reach far beyond sporting results, engaging the entire community and creating new relationships and opportunities.
Comacchio Mayor Samuele Bellotti echoed those sentiments, summarizing the significance of the event in three words: sport, tourism and youth. Bellotti explained that hosting an international event of this level is a source of pride for Comacchio and an opportunity to showcase the area beyond the traditional tourism season. He emphasized that this has been made possible through teamwork and cooperation among the federations, regional and local authorities, and tourism operators, with several accommodations remaining open specifically to welcome the event.
The Mayor also focused on the educational value and universal language of sport: respect for rules and opponents, learning how to win and lose, and, above all, how to get back up. He concluded with a simple message for the young athletes: “Have fun, play with passion and enjoy this experience!”
Francesca Santonastaso, Director of Spiaggia Romea Hotel & Village, spoke passionately about the venue’s long-standing relationship with schools. Throughout the year, Spiaggia Romea hosts numerous school trips and educational stays, and Santonastaso explained how these opportunities are also used to introduce students to lesser-known, fast-growing sports, giving them the chance to discover disciplines beyond those they traditionally encounter.
“I believe it is important to introduce young people to lesser-known sports, give them the opportunity to try them and discover something new,” said Santonastaso. “I am delighted to have succeeded in bringing the European Championships here. For me, this is not a beginning, but a milestone.”
During the European Championships, students from a local tourism and hospitality school will be directly involved in event operations, gaining hands-on experience in the organization of a major international sporting event while also interacting with their peers from across Europe.
For Manfredi Leone, FIDAF Federal Council Member, Italy’s selection to host another edition of the European Youth Championships is recognition of a journey that the Federation has pursued for more than 20 years in promoting Flag Football.
Leone highlighted two defining characteristics of the sport: inclusivity and sustainability. Inclusivity is particularly evident in the U15 Mixed category, where boys and girls compete together, but also in the structure of major international senior events, where men’s and women’s competitions are held simultaneously at the same venue as part of the same event.
Leone also expressed FIDAF’s pride in once again being entrusted by IFAF with hosting the competition and highlighted the significance the IFAF European Youth Championships have acquired over the years.
The action gets underway on Thursday morning, with Italy represented in all three categories. The Italian national teams arrive at the championships with an impressive record, having reached the podium in each of the last four editions of the championships.
Leading the way are the reigning European champion U17 Girls, who claimed the title in Innsbruck in 2025 with a 53–15 victory over Germany in the final. The Cleveland Browns are an official partner of the 2026 IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships as part of their wider partnership with FIDAF (Federazione Italiana di American Football) and their commitment to supporting the development of flag football in Italy. Browns Italia will have a significant branding presence throughout the event, visible across the competition venue through banners and other elements, and there will also be Browns-branded giveaways for participants.
Photo: AFBOE
