Mark May 20, 2025 as a landmark date in American football's 156-year journey.
On Tuesday, the NFL's owners authorized their players to play flag football in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The move, long speculated, will give the United States' most popular sports league unprecedented access to eyeballs around the world.
The parameters of the tournament are still being finalized, but it is known that a men's and women's tournament will be contested and the games will be five-on-five with no linemen. The Americans are ranked No. 1 in both men’s and women’s flag, and will be heavy favorites in L.A., but less clear is the list of countries that could potentially challenge them.
Here are five other nations to keep an eye on ahead of the men's tournament in 2028.
Australia
The Land Down Under is primarily known among American football fans for consistently exporting kickers and punters. That sells short the sheer variety of football codes Australia can draw from—Australian football, rugby league, rugby union, soccer and so on. Many of these football codes contain transferrable skills, though forward passing may prove thorny. If it can boost its No. 16 men's flag ranking, look out.
Austria
Austria is the current answer to the trivia question: who is ranked No. 2 in the world in men's flag football? Yes, the Austrians hold that title, and reign as the defending European champions of American football (and look like favorites this year as well). Austria's only non-practie squad NFL player is offensive lineman Bernhard Raimann, which could pose talent issues against North American squads. However, this is a team that knows the nuances of the flag game.
Canada
Canadian football is American football's closest living relative, and countless players have made the transition between the three- and four-down games. A quarterback would not be difficult to find—see the San Francisco 49ers' Kurtis Rourke, the Green Bay Packers' Taylor Elgersma, or any number of CFL stars. Skill position talent abounds as well in Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown and Buffalo Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer. This is a potential silver medal favorite.
Mexico
The NFL has never been shy about its designs on Mexico. The league has played five games in Mexico City all-time, and its southwestern teams have significant Spanish-language presences. Mexico's American football infrastructure is a bit lacking, and its only two current NFL players are lineman who have yet to see game action. However, as with the Austrians, the third-ranked Mexican squad has the flag knowledge to make noise.
Nigeria
This is a left-field addition to this list, considering Nigeria is not listed in the men's flag rankings and its national American football team has no Wikipedia page. However, the sport has grown in recent years both in Nigeria and among its diaspora. Africa's most populous nation has never really taken to rugby the way other ex-British colonies on the continent have—a fact the ever-expansionist NFL seems to recognize. Perhaps Lagos-born wide receiver Nelson Agholor could help get a flag football Super Eagles squad off the ground.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Which Non-U.S. Countries Could Challenge NFL Stars in Olympic Flag Football?.
