When kicking off these 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships previews, there was a suggestion that Group A might be considered the ‘group of death.’

Hold that thought for a minute.

Three-time world champions (2004, 2008, 2012) Mexico were the 2022 World Games winners and silver medalists at both the 2021 world championships and the Americas continental tournament. Canada claimed bronze at the Americas and their #9 world ranking would likely be higher but for the fact they did not participate at the last world championships. Then there’s Italy ranked sixth in Europe and two nations looking to improve on not having lived up to expectations in the continentals, Denmark and Korea.

That’s a tough group.

The top three teams will advance to the Round of 16 knockout stages, but there will likely be a tough battle for third place, if not higher.

Mexico is of course led by one of the sport’s superstars in Diana Flores, not to mention talented teammates who know how it feels to win gold medals and competition crowns.

Canada will draw its team from the province of Quebec since the North Americans currently select the winner of the previous year’s club team national championships as their representatives. Twice Canada has hoisted the world championship trophy, first in 2010 on home soil and again in 2014, so hopes are high of a return to the elite group of women’s flag football teams.

Mexico beat Canada in the 2008 world championship final, then in 2016 beat them to the bronze medal before fortunes were reversed in 2018 with Canada triumphant. The last time the rivals met in 2023, Mexico narrowly won 27-25 in the Americas continental tournament on the way to the silver medal, while Canada claimed bronze.

New head coach Katie Sowers will lead Italy in Lahti. Sowers, a former player in the Women's Football Alliance, and is a true trailblazer having coached with several NFL teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs and in particular the San Francisco 49ers, with whom reached Super Bowl LIV. She is the Director of Athletic Strategic Initiatives at Ottawa University in Kansas where she also coaches the university's women’s flag football team.

The group’s other European challenger Denmark lost to Italy in the European continental championships in Ireland last year, while winning two games. The Danes will look to return to the form that saw them crowned European champions in 2017. They also finished fourth overall two years later.

Korea looks for a first win having also been drawn into a tough group in the 2023 Asia-Oceania continental tournament, losing to eventual finalists Japan and Australia, as well as Indonesia, Thailand and India.