美式橄榄球联盟（NFL）正将旗式橄榄球作为扩大全球影响力的核心战略。[1]国际美式橄榄球联合会（IFAF）在德国杜塞尔多夫举办了首届旗式橄榄球奥运会资格赛，同时兼作世界锦标赛。[1]这项五对五无接触版本的比赛吸引了来自18个国家的300多名运动员参加。[1]男女组别前两名队伍将获得2028年洛杉矶奥运会的参赛资格，而美国已通过东道主身份确保了奥运参赛席位。[1]
IFAF主席皮埃尔·特罗谢评价这一时刻为旗式橄榄球的"巴塞罗那92时刻"。[1]全球范围内，旗式橄榄球的参与度持续增长，目前约有2000万运动员分布在100个国家，其中中国去年有100万人参加过至少一次相关活动。[1]NFL正在全球推动旗式橄榄球纳入学校课程、建立职业联赛，并为女性运动员创造职业发展机会。[1]美国男队在3月的表演赛中战胜了一支由汤姆·布雷迪、杰伦·赫茨等NFL现役和前职业球员组成的队伍。[1]
The NFL is leveraging flag football—a non-contact, five-on-five variant of American football—as a centerpiece of its international growth initiative. The sport held its inaugural Olympic qualifying tournament in Düsseldorf, Germany, drawing over 300 athletes from 18 countries [1]. The event simultaneously served as the sport's world championship, with the top-finishing men's and women's teams earning berths to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics [1]. The United States secured its Olympic spot as the host nation [1].
The tournament marks a pivotal moment for flag football's global trajectory. Pierre Trochet, president of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), described the event as a "Barcelona '92 moment" for the sport [1]. This comparison underscores the significance of flag football's entry into Olympic competition. Globally, approximately 20 million flag football players compete across 100 countries, with China alone recording one million participants in at least one flag football activity over the past year [1]. The NFL is accelerating expansion by integrating flag football into school curricula worldwide and establishing professional leagues to provide career pathways, particularly for female athletes [1]. In a demonstration of the sport's competitive appeal, the U.S. national team defeated an all-star squad of NFL current and former players—including Tom Brady and Jalen Hurts—in an exhibition match in March [1].