Canada’s male and female teams have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships held in Germany. The men’s team, with a 2-1 record, secured a spot in the quarterfinals despite a 37-28 loss to Japan. Due to Nigeria’s withdrawal from the tournament due to visa issues, Canada received an automatic win. Noteworthy performances included Japan’s quarterback Take Taniguchi throwing five touchdown passes and former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor contributing three TD passes for Canada. In the upcoming quarterfinals, Canada will face American Samoa, who caused an upset by defeating the top-ranked U.S. team.
On the other hand, the women’s team claimed the top spot in their group with a flawless 3-0 record after defeating Japan 34-20. Their next challenge will be against Austria in the quarterfinals, with a potential semifinal matchup against the winner of Mexico and Spain. Quarterback Sara Parker had a stellar performance against Japan, throwing four touchdown passes, two of which went to Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Additional touchdowns were caught by Alexane Fournier and Marianne Quirion, with Frederique Morneau scoring a rushing touchdown. Canada made a remarkable comeback in the second half, erasing a 20-13 halftime deficit with 21 unanswered points.
Apart from the quest for a world title, teams at the event are also vying for a chance to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where flag football will make its debut. The top two finishers at the world championships will secure Olympic berths. All matches of the event are available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.