A burgeoning international sport, flag football is part of The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama — marking the first time flag will be played on an international, multi-sport stage. Elite athletes comprising the globe’s eight-best Men’s and Women’s national teams, respectively, will compete for gold in Flag Football at The World Games 2022, presented in partnership with the NFL. Managed by USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, U.S. Men’s and Women’s teams already qualify for Birmingham by virtue of being reigning IFAF World Champions from 2018. The full field of national teams to compete with the Americans has been determined through IFAF’s qualifying process, based on final standings of the 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championships where the top seven ranked nations (excluding the United States) gained qualification. “The World Games 2022 already has vaulted flag’s trajectory to unprecedented heights – and we’re just getting started,”  former IFAF President Richard MacLean said. “For flag’s global family, playing the IFAF world champion Americans anywhere ramps-up the heart rate. Competing in Alabama, synonymous with dynastic football excellence, spikes the intensity even higher. In 2022, Birmingham’s flag competition will set a breath-taking standard from which all to come will be measured.” The qualified nations are: Women: United States, Mexico, Austria, Brazil, Panama, Japan, France and Italy Men: United States, Mexico, Panama, Italy, France, Austria, Denmark and Germany. Women - Group A United States Austria Panama France Women - Group B Mexico Brazil Japan Italy Men - Group A United States Panama France Denmark Men - Group B Mexico Italy Austria Germany Accompanying the race for medals on-field from July 7-17, 2022, IFAF will host its annual Congress in Birmingham. National federations spanning five continents will convene to consider and discern football’s world-wide, forward-moving path. Details on The World Games 2022, including ticketing, can be found at www.twg2022.com