INDIANAPOLIS, IND. & LAHTI, FINLAND -- USA Football's U.S. Men's and Women's Flag Football National Teams successfully defended their crowns at the 2024 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championships on Friday, Aug. 30.
The U.S. National Teams entered the World Championships in Lahti, Finland as the top ranked teams in IFAF’s world rankings. The U.S. Men's Flag National Team defeated Austria, 53-21, in their gold medal match while the U.S. Women's Flag National Team defeated Mexico, 31-18. The championship games were played in Lahti Stadium and were broadcast on the Olympic Channel and IFAF.TV.
The men's and women's teams went undefeated at 7-0 and 8-0, respectively, across four days of competition that featured 32 men's and 23 women's national teams from six continents battling for gold. The competition was the largest ever held by IFAF. Images from the gold medal game are available here, courtesy of Lester Barnes/USA Football.
USA Football, the sport's governing body and a recognized sports organization of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), selects and leads the U.S. National Teams in world class competition, including international events like IFAF World Championships, the World Games and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
USA Football assembled a U.S. National Team media guide earlier this summer with background information, anecdotes and quotes from U.S. National Team athletes and coaches.
"To me, this is one of the greatest teams the USA has ever had," said U.S. Men's National Team quarterback and two-time world champion Darrell "Housh" Doucette after the championship game. "Defensively we were stout, and we got stops when we needed to set the tone early on. We didn't have any close games like in previous years, and that shows that this team is special."
"It's 'we, not me.' I couldn't do this without my girls, our coaches and this organization. To be here and get a three-peat feels amazing," said U.S. Women's National Team quarterback and three-time world champion Vanita Krouch. "This job is done, but the job for the future is not done. We are still preparing for tomorrow, but we are going to enjoy today and celebrate. Today's business trip is done, and we will worry about the next project after this."
Flag football's popularity is exploding in the U.S. and abroad in the wake of the Olympic announcement. Twelve states sanction flag football as a high school varsity sport for girls, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New York and Tennessee. More than a dozen states support pilot programs.
Women's flag football provides pathways to scholarships and an opportunity to compete for a national championship at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member universities. Three members of the U.S. Women's Flag National Team compete at the collegiate level.
According to the NFL, 20 million people across 100 countries, including the 75 members of IFAF, play flag football. Approximately 660 athletes participated in the IFAF Flag World Championships. Last year, IFAF held continental championships across the world in its largest cycle of global flag football competition.
USA Football helps foster the sport's international growth by hosting the Junior International Cup annually, providing pathways for athletes in the 15U and 17U age divisions to compete at the highest level. This year's Junior International Cup took place in Los Angeles, where flag football makes its Olympic debut in 2028.
