Canada’s men’s flag football team qualifies for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

The Canadian senior men's national flag football team punched its ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on Sunday, securing a historic berth with a 34-26 victory over Mexico in the bronze-medal game at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany.

The result gives Canada one of the six spots in the men's Olympic flag football tournament, which will make its debut in Los Angeles.

Canada entered the tournament knowing there was little room for error. With the United States already qualified as the host nation, the top two remaining men's teams at the world championship would earn Olympic berths.

The Canadians came up just short of the championship game, falling to Italy in the semifinal on Saturday. That left Canada's Olympic hopes resting on Sunday's bronze-medal matchup against No. 3-ranked Mexico.

Longtime CFL coach Paul LaPolice was named head coach of the men's national team in 2025, bringing more than two decades of professional coaching experience to the program.

The 2026 team was assembled through a national identification and selection process before the final 12-player roster was announced in July. The athletes represented the culmination of months of evaluation, training camps and preparation for the World Championship.

The Canadian women have already secured their own Olympic berth on Saturday, meaning both Canadian senior national teams will compete in the sport's Olympic debut.