The IFAF World Championship of American Football (also known as the IFAF World Cup) is an international gridiron competition held every four years[1] and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport. Seventy-one nations have a national American football team. The most recent tournament, in 2015, featured seven teams.
Upcoming season or competition: 2025 IFAF World Championship | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| No. of teams | 12 (tournament) 71 (eligible national teams) |
| Most recent champion(s) |  United States (3rd title) |
| Most titles | United States (3 titles) |
| Official website | Official website |
The defending champions are the United States, who won the 2015 championship after winning both the 2007 and 2011 editions. The U.S. team did not compete in the World Cup until 2007 and have won every tournament since. Prior to the American entrance, Japan won the 1999 and 2003 championships.
The championship was held in Italy in 1999, in Germany in 2003, in Kawasaki, Japan in 2007, and in Austria in 2011. The 2015 IFAF World Championship was originally going to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, however local organizers had to cancel the event due to lack of sponsorship.[2] The 2015 tournament was played in Canton, Ohio, United States.[3]
Tournament format
editAt the 2011 championship, the championship tournament consisted of eight teams divided into two groups of four (there were six teams in 1999 and 2007, four in 2003, and seven in 2015). The opening round featured a round-robin tournament within the groups, with each team playing each other once. However, as opposed to a tournament bracket after the games were completed, the teams with the best record from each group met in the gold medal game, with the second-place teams in each group playing for the bronze medal, the third-place teams playing in the 5th-place game, and the fourth-place teams playing in the 7th-place game, thus guaranteeing each team four games.
Automatic berths included the host nation and the defending champions. Both finalists from the European Championship of American football tournament received berths. Two teams from the Pan American Federation of American Football received berths, as did one member each from the Asian Federation of American Football and from the Oceania Federation of American Football.
For the 2019 championship (postponed to 2023, then 2025), the tournament will expand to 12 teams.[4] Teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of three teams. Teams will play the other two teams in their group once each, for a total of two group-stage games. Teams will then advance to the second round, and from there to the placement and medal games.[5]
Because American football is far more dominant in the United States than anywhere else in the world, the United States did not field a team in the tournament for its first two editions. The United States has fielded a squad for the last three iterations, but with extremely restrictive criteria that make most American football players ineligible for the team. Despite the restrictions, the United States has won all three world championships in which they have competed. Similarly, Canada (where Canadian football, a related sport, has widespread popularity) did not participate until the 2011 competition, when the Canadian team finished second to the United States.
Results
editSummaries
edit| Year | Host | Final | Third-place match | Number of teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | 3rd place | Score | 4th place | |||
| 1999 |  Italy |
 Japan |
6–0 (OT) |  Mexico |
 Sweden |
38–13 |  Italy |
6 |
| 2003 |  Germany |
 Japan[6] |
34–14 | Mexico |
 Germany |
36–7 |  France |
4 |
| 2007 |  Japan |
 United States |
23–20 (OT) | Japan |
Germany |
7–0 | Sweden |
6 |
| 2011 |  Austria |
United States |
50–7 |  Canada |
Japan |
17–14 | Mexico |
8 |
| 2015 | United States |
United States |
59–12 | Japan |
Mexico |
20–7 | France |
7 |
| 2025 | TBD | postpone | postpone | postpone | postpone | postpone | postpone | postpone |
Results
edit
| Team | 1999 (6) |
2003 (4) |
2007 (6) |
2011 (8) |
2015 (7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia
|
5th | – | – | 8th | 5th |
| Austria
|
– | – | – | 7th | – |
 Brazil
|
– | – | – | – | 7th |
 Canada
|
– | – | – | 2nd | – |
 Finland
|
6th | – | – | – | – |
 France
|
– | 4th | 6th | 6th | 4th |
| Germany
|
– | 3rd | 3rd | 5th | – |
| Italy
|
4th | – | – | – | – |
| Japan
|
1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd |
 Mexico
|
2nd | 2nd | – | 4th | 3rd |
 South Korea
|
– | – | 5th | – | 6th |
 Sweden
|
3rd | – | 4th | – | – |
| United States
|
– | – | 1st | 1st | 1st |
Rankings
edit| Pos. | Team | Champions | Runners-up | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | United States
|
3 (2007, 2011, 2015) | – | – | – |
| 2nd | Japan
|
2 (1999, 2003) | 2 (2007, 2015) | 1 (2011) | – |
| 3rd | Mexico
|
– | 2 (1999, 2003) | 1 (2015) | 1 (2011) |
| 4th | Canada
|
– | 1 (2011) | – | – |
| 5th | Germany
|
– | – | 2 (2003, 2007) | – |
| 6th | Sweden
|
– | – | 1 (1999) | 1 (2007) |
| 7th | France
|
– | – | – | 2 (2003, 2015) |
| 8th | Italy
|
– | – | – | 1 (1999) |
IFAF World Championship records
editRushing yards
editTournament
edit- 447 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden (1999)[7]
Game
edit- 232 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden (Sweden vs. Italy, 3 July 1999)
Rushing touchdowns
editTournament
edit- 5 – DeShawn Thomas, U.S. (2011)
Game
edit- 3 – Mario Nerad, Austria (Australia vs. Austria, 15 July 2011)
Passing yards
editTournament
edit- 881 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)
Game
edit- 281 – Kiernan Dorney, Australia (Australia vs. Germany, 12 July 2011)
Touchdown passes
editTournament
edit- 6 – Michael Faulds, Canada (2011)
- 6 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)
Game
edit- 4 Jared Stegman, Australia (Australia vs South Korea, 9 July 2015)
Interceptions thrown
editTournament
edit- 7 – Jarkko Nieminen, Finland (1999)
Game
edit- 3 – Kiernan Dorney, Austria vs. Australia (15 July 2011)
- 3 – Carlos Altimirano, Mexico vs. Germany (10 July 2003)
- 3 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany vs. Mexico, (10 July 2003)
- 3 – David Ward, Austria vs. Japan (1 July 1999)
Receiving yards
editTournament
edit- 433 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)
Game
edit- 180 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs France (16 July 2011)
Receptions
editTournament
edit- 26 – Nate Kmic, U.S. (2011)
Game
edit- 8 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs. Austria (12 July 2011)
- 8 – Nate Kmic, U.S. vs. Germany (12 July 2011)
- 8 – Boti Bramer, Germany vs. Mexico (10 July 2003)
Touchdown receptions
editTournament
edit- 4 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)
- 4 – Matteo Soresini, Italy (1999)
Game
edit- 2 – by several players, most recent: Trent Steelman, U.S. vs. France (15 July 2015)
Longest plays
editRushing
edit- 88 – N.Khandar, France vs Australia (12 July 2015)
Passing
edit- 89 – Ullrich to Roemer, Germany vs. France (16 July 2011)
Punt return
edit- 85 – Marcel Duft, Germany vs. Sweden (14 July 2007)
Kickoff return
edit- 102 – Anthony Dablé, France vs. Brazil (8 July 2015)
Interception return
edit- 95 – Marcus Weil, Germany vs. U.S. (12 July 2007)
Fumble return
edit- 10 Terrence Jackson, U.S. vs. Germany (7 July 2011)
Field goal
edit- 56 – José Carlos Maltos, Mexico vs. Austria (10 July 2011)
Blocked punt return touchdown
edit- 26 – Diezeas Calbert, U.S. vs. Australia (8 July 2011)
Blocked field goal return touchdown
edit- 75 – Johnny Dingle, U.S. vs. Germany (10 July 2011)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "IFAF Senior World Championship". International Federation of American Football. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
The IFAF Senior World Championship is held every four years having first been contested in 1999.
- ^ "[PRESS RELEASE] World Championship moves » IFAF World Championship American Football Stockholm 2015 VM Amerikansk fotboll". stockholm2015.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ "EIGHT TEAMS TO BATTLE FOR THE IFAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN CANTON, OHIO". International Federation of American Football. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
The 2015 IFAF World Championship will be contested in Canton, Ohio between the 8th and 19th of July with all games staged at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
- ^ "SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD". International Federation of American Football. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
Sweden will host the 2015 International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship when the national teams of 12 countries from four continents converge on the capital city of Stockholm.
- ^ "SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD". International Federation of American Football. October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
At the 2015 tournament the 12 teams will be split into four groups of three for a round robin stage leading to the second round and then placement and medal games that will take place during 10 playing days with rest days in between.
- ^ "SCHEDULE". German Football Partners. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
- ^ "Football".