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<\/a>Canada celebrates with their gold medals at the 2026 IFAF World Flag Football Championships. (Photo: NFL Canada)<\/p>\nThe top-ranked United States came out on top in the men\u2019s world championship in D\u00fcsseldorf as expected, beating fourth-ranked Italy comfortably in the final by a score of 46-26.<\/p>\n
Making the final booked Italy\u2019s spot to the Olympics, while either Canada or Mexico would take the other spot by winning the third-place match on Sunday. Tenth-ranked Canada pulled off the upset over third-ranked Mexico with a 34-26 win to claim the bronze medal and qualify for LA. <\/p>\n
Super Bowl champion Antony Auclair was the standout for Canada, with the game-winning touchdown in overtime one of two scores on the day for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans tight end. Former Montreal Alouettes star Marc-Antoine Dequoy is also part of the Canadian squad. <\/p>\n
A 26-6 victory over Austria, the world\u2019s second-ranked team, in the group stage was a highlight for Canada, who also beat Nigeria and lost to Japan. Canada then beat American Samoa in the quarterfinals before a semifinal defeat to Italy.<\/p>\n
NFL and CFL players will be allowed to compete at the Olympics, meaning that some of the top football players in the world could descend on LA in 2028. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a guarantee that they\u2019ll walk into their respective national teams. <\/p>\n The American flag football team beat squads of past and present NFL stars<\/a> earlier this year \u2014 with Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Rob Gronkowski, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and Jalen Ramsey taking part for the NFL squads. <\/p>\n While NFL and CFL stars, especially quarterbacks, have skillsets that certainly translate well to flag football, that doesn\u2019t mean they will be the players most likely to deliver an expected Olympic gold medal for the Americans and Canada\u2019s target of reaching the podium.<\/p>\n Time will tell how many CFL players make the cut, with BC Lions star quarterback Nathan Rourke among the players who have expressed that they want to take part<\/a>. The Lions\u2019 April Fools Day joke this year was even an announcement that Rourke \u2014 who has really signed up to play in a recreational flag football league to help him prepare \u2014 is leaving to focus on his Olympic dream. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not handing any jobs to CFL football players or NFL football players,\u201d warned head coach Paul LaPolice when he spoke to the media in March<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>Canada\u2019s flag fotball team after qualifying for the Olympics.(Photo: Pau Barrena\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n