In the run-up to the IFAF Flag Football World Championships, which will take place in Düsseldorf from August 13–16, 2026, the NFL has donated flag football equipment sets to Düsseldorf’s Jan-Wellem-Schule.

The NFL flag football equipment sets will enable Düsseldorf schools to participate in the increasingly popular sport of flag football, which will make its debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

At the event, Alexander Steinforth, General Manager of NFL DACH, symbolically presented an NFL flag football equipment set to Jörg Heinold, principal of the Jan-Wellem Special Education School. Burkhard Hintzsche, City Director of the state capital Düsseldorf, provided the school with tickets to the IFAF Flag Football World Championships as part of the event.

In total, all 142 public schools in Düsseldorf will receive a free NFL flag football kit — each set contains two footballs and twelve flag belts. At the same time, the schools receiving the equipment will be invited to a flag football teacher workshop taking place on June 24 in Düsseldorf.

All 107 public kindergartens in Düsseldorf will also receive PeeWee footballs to get children excited about sports and active play.

“By providing NFL flag football kits, we want to give more children and young people the opportunity to try out flag football and learn more about it,” said Alexander Steinforth, General Manager of NFL Germany. “Flag football is growing in Germany, but also worldwide. We look forward to experiencing top-class football in Düsseldorf this summer, where the NFL’s German headquarters are located.”

Brian Flinn, NFL Senior Vice President, Global Flag Football, added: “Flag football is quickly approaching an inflection point globally. To help ensure the sport’s long-term sustainability, the NFL is committed to strengthening its infrastructure at every level, including accessible, inclusive, and scalable grassroots pathways worldwide that provide clear entry points for youth to participate and enjoy the game.”

Burkhard Hintzsche, City Director of the state capital Düsseldorf, said: “Flag football is steadily gaining popularity at the local level as well as in a global context. When the IFAF World Flag 26 takes place in Düsseldorf this August, our city will become the global center of this sport. Given its continuous development, the next generation is, of course, also of great importance. That is why we welcome the NFL’s initiative with the flag sets, which will allow even more children and young people to be introduced to flag football in a playful way.”