There’s already been plenty of buzz around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in the days following the conclusion of the Paris Games, but one new wrinkle coming in four years is turning more heads than the rest.
After the U.S. won the overall medal count in Paris, anchored by golds in marquee tournaments like basketball and soccer, American fans are getting excited about the prospect of a dominant performance in the Olympic debut of men’s and women’s flag football.
Even active NFL players are showing their support and desire to potentially compete in the next Summer Games. But there’s confusion, too, over which nations and athletes will compete, what the flag football games will look like, and why the most popular sport in the U.S. is headed to the Olympics at all.
Are You Ready for Some Football?
Here’s everything fans need to know about flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics:
NFL players, both active and retired, are likely to compete. Many, like Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill (above), Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, and former tight end Rob Gronkowski, have expressed their desire to represent Team USA. League leaders are open to that possibility. “The player interest is real and palpable,” NFL EVP Peter O’Reilly said last fall. “There’s a desire to work through with these stakeholders and get to that outcome.” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has called Olympic flag football a “great opportunity” for the league and its players.
The NFL supported the effort to include flag football in the Olympics. The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) led the bid, which was approved by the International Olympic Committee in October. During the Paris Games, the NFL released an ad featuring Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts touting flag football in 2028.
A variety of countries will compete in Los Angeles. The exact competition format of flag football at the 2028 Olympics hasn’t been revealed, but the 2022 World Games featured two eight-team tournaments. The U.S. took gold in the men’s competition, while Mexico won the women’s, with the U.S. earning silver. The U.S., Mexico, Italy, France, Panama, and Austria each qualified for both the men’s and women’s tournaments. IFAF has 75 member nations.
NFL players may represent countries other than the U.S. During the 2023 season, 88 foreign-born players participated in at least one play of an NFL game. Players with dual nationalities could also opt to represent a foreign country. Australia, Canada, Germany, Nigeria, and the U.K. all had multiple countrymen hit NFL fields.
Olympic flag football will be a 5-on-5 competition. Featuring two 20-minute halves, games will be played on a field that’s 50 yards long and 25 yards wide, with two 10-yard end zones. Teams will have four downs to get a touchdown. Venues have not been determined.
