During the buildup to the 2025 IFAF Americans Flag Football Championships, IFAF has posed three questions to the head coaches of the men’s and women’s teams about to compete for continental glory.
Gonzalo Cataldo Cortés is the head coach of Chile’s flag and tackle national teams. He has been involved in Chilean American Football for more than 16 years, promoting high performance and is the creator of Chile’s high-performance program, DAR. He has also been an advocate for the Olympic vision, which he believes must be established across all IFAF countries in the Americas.
Cataldo Cortés has worked to ensure that Chile competes at the highest level and is no longer invisible among international federations, achieving important progress and helping Chile become part of the country’s Olympic Committee, being one of the first in Latin America to do so.
He is a certified coach recognized by the Chilean Olympic Committee, holding the AAA license, the highest global coaching certification, enabling his to participate in the Olympic Games and international competitions. He has led Chile in two IFAF World Championships and this is his second continental tournament.
What are the goals for your team in this tournament? To develop a strong performance that allows us to achieve our main objective, which is qualifying for the IFAF 2026 World Championship.
What will be the strengths of your team and which players should we watch for? A mix of experienced players who have participated in World and Continental tournaments, along with younger athletes who bring the necessary energy and contributions to help the sport grow and build a future in our country.
What do you think of the group you have been drawn into (Mexico, Panama, Argentina, Jamaica and El Salvador)?
I believe that in every group there are always two teams that are world-class powerhouses, so in both cases we face the same challenges. For this reason, I think we are all on equal footing, competing for a place at the World Championship next year.
Photo: Ernesto Campuzano
