The Canadian women’s flag football team has secured a spot at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles after defeating Mexico 20-6 in a semifinal match of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) world championship held in Duesseldorf, Germany. Head coach Rachel Lessard expressed her pride in the team’s performance, highlighting their discipline, resilience, and trust that led to this achievement.

The top two countries from both the men’s and women’s world championships will automatically qualify for the 2028 Olympics when flag football debuts as an Olympic sport. However, the United States, as the host nation, has already secured a place, and if they reach the final, the top three finishers will qualify. The Canadian women’s team is set to face the U.S. in the world championship final, while Mexico and Britain will compete for the last women’s Olympic spot in the bronze-medal match.

In the men’s competition, Canada fell short against Italy in the semifinals but still has a chance to secure an Olympic berth in the bronze-medal match against Mexico. The U.S. will face Italy in the men’s gold medal match on Sunday.

The Canadian teams performed well in the quarterfinals, with the men defeating American Samoa 24-14 and the women triumphing over Austria 40-12. The women’s team also had a close victory against the U.S. at the USA Football Summer Series earlier in June.

Football Canada’s CEO, Eva Havaris, commended the women’s team for their hard work and outstanding performance, expressing excitement about their official qualification for the Olympics. Notable players in the semifinals included Sara Parker, Silvia Contreras, Caroline Moquin-Joubert, and Alexane Fournier for the women’s team, and James Drysdale, Jackson Tachinski, and Antony Auclair for the men’s team.