Reigning champions Mexico will face the continental title holders from both Asia-Oceania and Europe at The World Games in Chengdu when China hosts the event from August 14-17.
Mexico have been placed in Group B with Japan, Great Britain and another formidable opponent in Spain. IFAF world champions the United States will take on Austria, Canada and host nation China in Group A.
The draw followed the serpentine method of placing the women’s teams based on their top seven finish at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships. Games will be played at the Chengdu No. 7 High School Eastern Campus Athletics Field.
| Group A | Group B |
| United States | Mexico |
| Austria | Japan |
| Canada | Spain |
| China | Great Britain |
The group stages begin at 9am on Thursday, August 14, with a North American rivalry clash between USA and Canada, followed by China’s international competition debut against fourth place finisher from the summer’s world championships Austria.
The past two champions of Europe, Great Britain and Spain, then meet before the silver and bronze medalists from the worlds, Mexico and Japan, face each other. The group stages will conclude on Friday before the quarterfinal knockout competition commences on Saturday.
The winners of each group will face the fourth-placed team in the opposite group and the second and third-placed finishers will meet with the winners advancing to the semifinals. Losing teams will enter a placement bracket.
The final of The World Games flag football tournament will be played at 12.50pm on Sunday, August 17, preceded by the bronze medal and final placement games.
The most inclusive and accessible format of the American football, flag football is one of fastest growing disciplines in the world with more than 20 million players in 100 countries. The sport made its debut at The World Games in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama.
| Time | Round | Opponents |
| Thu 14 | ||
| 09:00 | Preliminary | USA v CAN |
| 10:10 | Preliminary | CHN v AUT |
| 11:20 | Preliminary | GBR v ESP |
| 13:00 | Preliminary | MEX v JPN |
| 14:10 | Preliminary | USA v AUT |
| 15:20 | Preliminary | CAN v CHN |
| Fri 15 | ||
| 09:00 | Preliminary | GBR v JPN |
| 10:10 | Preliminary | MEX v ESP |
| 11:20 | Preliminary | CAN v AUT |
| 13:00 | Preliminary | USA v CHN |
| 14:10 | Preliminary | GBR v MEX |
| 15:20 | Preliminary | JPN v ESP |
| Sat 16 | ||
| 09:00 | Quarterfinal 1 | Group A #1 v Group B #4 |
| 10:10 | Quarterfinal 2 | Group A #2 v Group B #3 |
| 11:20 | Quarterfinal 3 | Group A #3 v Group B #2 |
| 12:30 | Quarterfinal 4 | Group A #4 v Group B #1 |
| 14:00 | Consolation | RU of Qtr Final 1 v RU of Qtr Final 3 |
| 15:10 | Consolation | RU of Qtr Final 4 v RU of Qtr Final 2 |
| 16:20 | Semifinal | Winner of Qtr Final 1 v Winner of Qtr Final 3 |
| 17:30 | Semifinal | Winner of Qtr Final 4 v Winner of Qtr Final 2 |
| Sun 17 | ||
| 09:00 | Placement | RU of Ranking 1 v RU of Ranking 2 |
| 10:10 | Placement | Winner of Ranking 1 v Winner of Ranking 2 |
| 11:30 | Bronze Medal Match | RU Semi Final 1 v RU Semi Final 2 |
| 12:50 | Final | Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2 |
The United States have lost only once in 34 games under quarterback and The World Games 2024 Athlete of the Year nominee Vanita Krouch and that was in the 2022 gold medal game against Mexico. USA has won the past three IFAF world championships and is the current holder of the Americas continental crown.
Mexico boasts flag football icon Diana Flores at quarterback, and she led her nation to The World Games gold in 2022 and to silver medals in the past two world championships and in the Americas in 2023. Two years ago, Mexico beat Japan, Italy, Brazil, France, Panama and USA and claims the only perfect record (6-0) in The World Games competition.
Japan medaled for only the second time at an IFAF world championships last summer with a narrow one-point win over Austria, the team that knocked them out of The World Games at the quarterfinals stage in 2022. Japan beat allcomers, overcoming Australia in the final, to be crowned Asia-Oceania champions.
Austria finished fourth at The World Games in 2022, losing the bronze medal game to Panama having lost to the United States in the semifinals while beating France and Japan along the way. Austria also claimed fourth place at the 2024 IFAF world championships and as the fourth-ranked women’s team in the world are Europe’s top-ranked nation.
World champions in 2010 and 2014, Canada makes its World Games debut having claimed a fifth-place finish at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland. Canada won the bronze medal at the 2023 IFAF Americas continental tournament.
Also participating in The World Games for the first time, beaten European finalists Spain were continental champions in 2019 and finished sixth at the 2024 world championships.
Great Britain claimed the final spot at The World Games by taking seventh place at the world championships where they suffered narrow defeats to Japan and Canada. GB outlasted Spain to be crowned European champions in Ireland in 2023 and compete at The World Games for the first time.
Hosts China make not only a debut at The World Games, but also in international competition and will also compete for the first time in the IFAF Asia-Oceania continental tournament this year.
Won-lost record for IFAF women’s flag football nations at The World Games: Mexico 6-0 USA 5-1 Panama 4-2 Japan 2-2 Austria 2-4 Italy 1-3 Brazil 0-4 France 0-4
Photo: Ernesto Campuzano
