IFAF World Flag 2026 Men’s Group B: Austria, Japan, Canada, Nigeria
This is the only group to feature teams from four different continents in the men’s competition.
Group B includes three-time world champion Austria, a Canada team looking to medal for the first time since their predecessors won it all in 2008, a nation that has only contested a medal once in 11 years of competition history in Japan and world stage newcomer Nigeria.
Beaten finalists two years ago, Austria last played Japan at the 2018 world championships, winning 32-19 in the group stages. Their most recent meeting with Canada was in 2016 and produced a win on the way to finishing fourth at the 2016 games. Nigeria is yet to meet any of its Group B opponents on the competitive stage.
“Our group is very exciting,” said Michael Salamon, head coach of an Austrian team ranked number two in the world. “Japan is a regular at the world championships and is always difficult to play against with their own style. Canada seems underrated; they performed strongly at the continentals but lost to Switzerland at the 2024 world championships. Nigeria is new to the tournament, so we’ll have to see how that goes. In the broadcasts of their previous games, they look very athletic.
“Overall, these are great and very different challenges. As the top-seeded team in the group, our goal is, of course, to win it. We will work hard over the next few months to achieve that.”
The Basics:
Austria are of course three-time world champions but not since 2012 have they claimed the coveted crown. Austria lost the title game to the United States in 2018 and again in 2024, a year after they had taken the silver medal at the IFAF European Continental Championships. Second place was also achieved at the 2025 IFAF Euro Flag in a final loss to Italy and they are ranked second in the world.
Japan won advanced to the championship game of the Asia tournament at Asia-Oceania Flag 2025 with a dramatic 40-39 win over host China and booked their ticket to this summer’s finals. They lost to Australia in the overall Asia-Oceania final and are ranked seventh in the world.
Canada’s solitary world championships medal was gold in 2008. More recently they claimed bronze at the 2025 IFAF Americas with a 32-22 victory over Panama, having lost to Mexico in the semifinals. Two years earlier Canada had lost the third-place game to Panama. They finished seventh at the last IFAF world championships and have progressed up the IFAF World Rankings to tenth place overall.
Nigeria steps onto the world stage for the first time, having triumphed by a single point at the IFAF Africa continental competition in 2025 with a 13-12 win against host Egypt and are ranked 32nd in the world.
Photo: AFBOE
