The schedule for the 2026 IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships has been announced for when the sport’s stars of tomorrow compete in Lido delle Nazioni near Ferrara, Italy, from September 24 to 26.
The continent’s top flag football athletes at the boys and girls U17 and mixed U15 age groups will converge on Po Delta Park with games played by a total of 30 teams representing 13 nations. The action starts at 8am on Thursday, September 24, across six fields with group games played until Friday at 3.30pm when the knockout stages begin.
The schedule and all results will be 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.
Host Italy opens its defense of the U17 Girls crown, won last year with a convincing 53-15 win over Germany, against Israel on Field 5 at 9am. The gold medal games will be played on Saturday when the action switches to the Stadio Hilderaldo Luiz Bellini di Comacchio with the Boys U17 final (3.30pm) followed by the Mixed U15 final (4.45pm) and the Girls U17 final (6pm).
First held in 2016, the tournament showcases the progress of youth flag football across the continent as European nations develop talented athletes on the road to participation at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Andrea Volonnino and Daniele Latorraca, who won the silver medal with the Italian men’s national team at this summer’s IFAF World Flag 26 in Düsseldorf and secured qualification for LA28, have previously represented Italy at the IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships.
Notable IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships alumni who have progressed to senior national teams and participated at IFAF World Flag 26:
- Uziel Gyllenberg, Israel, U17 boys’ gold medal and MVP
- Josh Leventhal, Israel, U17 boys’ gold medal
- Yali Harush, Israel, U17 boys’ gold medal
- Laura Hernández, Spain U17 girls’ gold medal
- Anja Lebar, Slovenia U15 girls’ gold medal
- Iza Cvetko, Slovenia U15 girls’ gold medal
- Nika Vres, Slovenia U15 girls’ gold medal
- Tia Govejsek, Slovenia U15 girls’ gold medal
- Felix Goldman, Austria U15 boys’ bronze medal
- Sophie Einfalt, Austria girls’ U17 silver medal
- Anna Valenta, Austria girls’ U17 silver medal
The mixed U15 competition for teams featuring athletes of both genders reflects flag football’s highly inclusive nature and is in line with trends for greater integration of male and female athletes in international sport. The tournament’s thriving and proven pathway for young flag football players in Europe is a model in the ongoing expansion of IFAF youth flag football competition across all continents.
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
