All-CFL defender Marc-Antoine Dequoy headlines Football Canada’s rosters for 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships

Montreal Alouettes

Football Canada has unveiled their rosters for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, selecting 12 athletes for participation in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.

On the men’s side, former All-CFL defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy has officially cracked the roster after joining the program following his retirement this offseason. Other newcomers include former CFL receiver Daniel Petermann and University of Manitoba quarterback Jackson Tachinski, who was a late addition to the program after participating in training camp as a receiver with the Edmonton Elks.

They join returning players with CFL connections including quarterback Michael O’Connor and defensive back Maxyme Lavallée, as well as former NFL tight end Antony Auclair.

“We’re incredibly excited to announce our Senior Men’s National Flag Football Team. These athletes have worked tirelessly all year to improve as individuals and as a team, and we believe we’ve assembled a championship-calibre roster,” head coach Paul LaPolice said in a statement. “They will represent Canada with pride at the IFAF World Championships, and we’re looking forward to competing for a gold medal.”

Canada’s senior men’s national team is currently ranked 10th in the world. They are slated to play No. 2 Austria, No. 7 Japan, and No. 32 Nigeria in the round-robin group stage before hopefully advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament. The team’s full roster can be found below.

#| Player | Position | Hometown
8 Antony Auclair (C), WR/RE, Quebec City, QC
2 Guillaume Beland (C), CB/DC, Montreal, QC
21 Anthony Brisebois, HB/DD, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC
5 Émile Chênevert, HB/DD, Quebec City, QC
24 Marc-Antoine Dequoy, RUSH/CB, Île Bizard, QC
3 James Drysdale, WR/RE, Terrebonne, QC
22 Maxym Lavallée (C), HB/DD, Quebec City, QC
15 Michael O’Connor, QB/QA, Ottawa, ON
23 Daniel Petermann, WR/RE, Stoney Creek, ON
4 Jackson Tachinski, WR/RE, Winnipeg, MB
11 François Rocheleau, WR/RE, Montreal, QC
13 Philippe Pharand, RUSH, Montreal, QC

The senior women’s national team enters their tournament ranked fourth in the world, and will face No. 12 Panama, No. 15 Brazil, and No. 5 Japan in the group stage, making them a favourite for advancement.

“Naming this roster is an exciting milestone for our program. This group has earned the opportunity to represent Canada through their discipline, resilience, and commitment to one another,” head coach Rachel Lessard said in a statement. “We know they’ll compete with pride, represent our country with excellence, and embrace the opportunity to challenge for a world championship and Olympic qualification.”

The full women’s roster is as follows:

# | Player | Position | Hometown
22 Mikaëlle Azar, DB/DD, Montreal, QC
55 Laurence Caron, DB/DD, Montreal, QC
17 Léa Duval, RUSH, Saint-Lazare, QC
18 Alexane Fournier, SNAP/REC, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC
12 Sabrina Gervais (C), DB/DD, Maskinongé, QC
30 Samantha Hopkins, DB/DD, Calgary, AB
4 Rosalie Landry, DB/DD, Repentigny, QC
81 Laura Molimard, SNAP/REC, Vaudreuil, QC
15 Caroline Moquin-Joubert (C), WR/RE, Saint-Lambert, QC
1 Frédérique Morneau, WR/RE, Quebec City, QC
11 Sara Parker, QB/QA, Greenfield Park, QC
10 Marianne Quirion, WR/RE, Sherbrooke, QC

The IFAF Flag Football World Championships represent the highest level of international flag football competition, and are the first qualification event for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The top two finishers, other than the automatically qualified United States, in both the men’s and women’s tournament will book their ticket to LA2028.

The tournament is slated to commence in Düsseldorf, Germany, on August 13, with medal games taking place on August 16. Both Canadian teams participate in a final training camp in Montreal before departing in early August.