Canada’s men and women have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships in Germany. The men, with a 2-1 record, lost 37-28 to Japan but secured second place in their group. Due to visa issues, Nigeria withdrew from the tournament, granting Canada an automatic win. Japan’s quarterback Take Taniguchi threw five touchdown passes, while Canada’s former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor contributed with three TD passes. 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 secured first place 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 match against the winner of Mexico versus Spain. Quarterback Sara Parker delivered an exceptional performance by throwing four touchdown passes, two of which were caught by Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Alexane Fournier and Marianne Quirion also made significant contributions by catching TD passes, while Frederique Morneau scored a crucial rushing touchdown to help Canada overcome a halftime deficit and secure victory with 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Aside from vying for the world title, teams are also competing for a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers in the world championships will secure Olympic berths as the sport makes its debut on the Olympic program. All matches from the event are available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.