Onside Sponsorship has been appointed by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to develop the bidding and commercial programmes for its 2026 Flag Football World Championship. The joint men’s and women’s event in 2026 will be the first Flag Football World Championship to feature qualifying slots for the Olympic Games following confirmation of the sport’s inclusion on the programme for Los Angeles 2028.
The Irish company will help the federation to develop a bidding process for interested hosts and a legal framework for the event. IFAF President Pierre Trochet said the sport has grown in popularity arity around the world both among players and spectators. This year will see a record-breaking edition of the world championships in Finland, concluding the biggest ever cycle of competitions, involving 65 national teams.
Winners
Jon Long, Onside’s managing director for the UK and Middle East, said flag football is a five-a-side non-contact form of American football in which women’s and men’s teams have competed since 2002. The current holders of both titles are the USA, while previous winners of the women’s event include Canada, France, Mexico, Panama and Sweden. The men’s competition has been won in the past by Austria, Canada and France.
The appointment enhances a portfolio of international clients and projects for the Dublin-headquartered sports and entertainment consultancy that also includes Cricket West Indies, USA Cricket, British Triathlon, England Hockey, Table Tennis England and World
Squash.
