Updates

The NFL, International Federation of American Football (IFAF), and USA Football — the national governing body of American football in the U.S. — have joined forces to welcome today's vote of the International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai, India. American football will be featured on the official program of the Olympic Games for the first time when flag football makes its debut appearance in Los Angeles 2028.

Today's decision follows prior recommendations by the IOC Executive Board, IOC Olympic Program​ Commission and Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee and concludes a two-year process of evaluation.

It comes after the IFAF and the NFL formed Vision28 — a unique joint venture and partnership model — which places flag football at the heart of shared sport development goals globally.

Flag football — a fast, non-contact and gender-equal format, renowned as the most accessible and inclusive version of American football — is spearheading exceptional worldwide participation growth in American football, especially among women and girls.

An estimated 20 million people in more than 100 countries currently play flag football, which is growing in tandem with the exploding international popularity of the NFL, as America's favorite spectator sport continues to build on a global fan base of 340 million.

This year, 65 national representative teams will participate in IFAF continental flag football competition, building towards the IFAF World Flag Football Championships to be held in Lahti, Finland in August 2024.

Learn more about flag football on the NFL Operations website.