Montreal awarded Olympic Q-Series flag football event

Photo: IFAF

The road to flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles runs through Montreal — to an extent, at least.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Wednesday that Montreal will host one of four Olympic Q-Series events. From June 1 to 4, 2028, Montreal will feature qualification competitions for flag football, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, and park skateboarding.

“The inclusion of flag football in the Olympic Q-Series marks a significant milestone that reflects the scale of our sport’s growth and momentum,” said Football Canada chief executive officer Eva Havaris in a statement.

“Hosting this event in Montreal offers an incredible opportunity to showcase our athletes, inspire communities across Canada, and generate even more excitement on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We look forward to working alongside the Canadian Olympic Committee to deliver a world-class event and continue building the future of flag football in Canada.”

By the time this event takes place, three men’s and three women’s teams will have already qualified for participation in Los Angeles.

An additional 10 men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the Olympic Q-Series in Montreal through next year’s IFAF Continental Championships. Once there, two men’s and women’s spots will be up for grabs, followed by one last men’s and women’s spot at a separate Olympic Q-Series event in Orlando.

Montreal’s event will take place at Olympic Park.

“Flag football is a natural fit for the Olympic Q-Series, which emphasizes youth culture in festival-style settings,” said International Federation of American Football (IFAF) president Pierre Trochet.

“This is the perfect way to build momentum and extend opportunities for athletes to compete in an Olympic-style environment in 2028. To have flag football at two of these stops, where Montreal and Orlando were both eager to host flag football, is a statement of growing excitement around our sport.”

This year’s IFAF Flag Football World Championships are set to take place in Düsseldorf, Germany from August 13 to 16.