There is no ambiguity when it comes to Mexico’s mindset heading into The World games in Chengdu next month. The reigning champions will arrive in China with one simple goal: to defend the title they won back in 2022.
“The plan for the Mexican team is to win our second World Games gold medal by advancing through the group stage undefeated,” said veteran Silvia Contreras.
Such a feat would match their performances in Birmingham, Alabama, when flag football debuted at The World Games and Mexico became the competition’s first-ever winners. Japan and Italy – who are again poised to face Mexico in Group B - and Brazil were brushed aside with only 19 points conceded and an emphatic tournament-best 125 points scored.
France and Panama were each held to a single touchdown as Mexico dominated the quarterfinals and semifinals. The trend continued when the United States were humbled 39-6 on home soil in the championship game at Legion Field.
“It is very important (to win) in any competition where we are representing our country,” says head coach Fernando Alfaro. “It is extremely important to win The World Games when we have already obtained the gold, and it is the only thing we want. We work for that, so it is really very important. We are going to fight for it.”
Mexico faces a tough path to the gold this summer. Japan are the reigning Asia-Oceania champions, and a third group opponent Great Britain also won their respective continental crown two years ago. That is a title that eluded Mexico in 2023, along with the past two IFAF Flag Football World Championships.
“The World Games will be a tough competition because the teams are strong in our group,” added Alfaro. “It is complicated because Japan that has grown a lot in flag football and Great Britain and Canada are teams that have really raised their level a lot. They are going to be great rivals.”
Traditional rival the United States beat Mexico 31-21 in Israel in 2021 and then by 31-18 in Finland last summer to deny them a world crown to add to that World Games trophy. Those agonizing defeats book-ended a close loss to USA in the 2023 IFAF Americas tournament. That’s two summers of heartbreak since Mexico were last crowned champions.
“The IFAF World Championships in Finland has helped us a lot in seeing what we need to work on,” added Contreras. “Obviously the goal in every tournament is always to go for the gold; this time we didn’t achieve it, but now we’re even more motivated for Chengdu.”
Refusing to be drawn on a potential clash with the United States and believing those one-sided victories in 2022 are a thing of the past, Contreras added: “I think that all the teams will be very good opponents. The scoreboards will be close. The level of flag football has grown significantly in recent years, and it's something that excites me greatly to be able to see and experience this level of competition.”
There are no guarantees that Mexico will advance to the title game or that USA will overcome Austria, a resurgent Canada, and hosts China in Group A to seek revenge for 2022. But if the two top ranked teams in the world do meet for a fifth successive final, fans watching on The World Games Live will witness a fierce rivalry with scores to settle and gold the ultimate prize.
Player to Watch: QB Diana Flores
Head Coach: Fernando Alfaro, 1st Year
World Ranking: 2nd
Form (last 5 games): L vs USA / W vs JPN / W vs CAN / W vs ISR / W vs CAN
IFAF Tournaments 2024 World Championships: 2nd 2023 Americas Continentals: 2nd 2022 The World Games: 1st 2021 World Championships: 2nd
