Team Canada is coming home from Panama with some hardware in-hand has the women won silver and the men won bronze at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Americas Flag Football Continental Championship.
The women’s team won silver after falling behind 12-0 to Mexico in the first half of the gold medal game when lightning and rain caused the matchup to be postponed and eventually cancelled. According to IFAF rules, a team is declared the winner if they’re up by 12 or more points at the time of a game’s cancellation, thus Mexico was awarded the gold and Canada was given the silver.
The Canadian women went 3-0 in the round robin and beat Panama in the semifinal by a score of 26-24 to advance to the gold medal game against Mexico.
The men’s team won 32-22 over Panama in the bronze medal game as former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor threw touchdown passes to former NFL tight end Antony Auclair, James Drysdale, Francois Rocheleau, and Jeanslee Alexis.
The squad qualified for the bronze medal game after going 3-1 during the round robin with wins over Guatemala, Brazil, and Colombia, and a loss to the United States. They then lost to Mexico in the semifinal by a score of 35-25.
The men’s gold medal game between Mexico and the United States, which was to be held after the women’s gold medal game, was unable to be played due to poor weather conditions, resulting in the two teams being deemed joint champions.
“This decision has been taken to ensure player safety, which is our top priority, and in line with provisions for unforeseen circumstances in the tournament rules. A lengthy lightning delay means that the game cannot be completed satisfactorily,” wrote IFAF in a statement.
“We understand and share the disappointment of players and fans and thank them for their contribution to what has been a superb showcase of flag football in Panama.”
Team Canada placed high enough on the women’s and men’s side to earn a berth in the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Germany. The top three teams from this event will then clinch a berth in the 2028 Olympics Summer Games where flag football will be held as an event for the first time.
