USA Football has announced the 2023 International Federation of American Football Americas Continental Flag Football Championship will be held from July 5–7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The event will host the best men’s and women’s flag football teams from North and South America at the United States Performance Center in Charlotte and at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“We are delighted to announce USA Football as host of the 2023 Americas Continental Championship, one of the pinnacle events in an expanding international calendar that speaks to the growing competitiveness of flag football around the world,” said IFAF President Pierre Trochet. “This event promises to be an amazing showcase of the depth of talent right across the region, from north to south, building on flag football’s ever-expanding popularity and propelling the game to even greater heights.”
It’s the first of three Continental Championships taking place in 2023 as IFAF begins the run up to the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland. The Continental Championships will serve as a qualifying pathway for the first time.
Last June, flag football debuted at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, marking the sport’s first time featured on a multi-sport, global stage. Last month, the NFL conducted its Pro Bowl Games in a flag football format for the first time, showcasing the discipline to a global audience of millions.
“Flag football captured the spotlight this past summer at The World Games,” said USA Football Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck. “We are excited to have dozens of elite athletes converge on the United States for the second consecutive summer. Flag football’s draw as a popular global sport has helped mold world-class teams in North and South America. USA Football is proud to partner with the USPC to host the 2023 Americas Continental Flag Football Championship and to continue raising the bar for flag football by constructing the U.S. National Teams and elevating the game’s standard.”
The U.S. men’s and women’s flag teams are reigning world champions. The U.S. men and Mexico women were gold medalists at The World Games.