Nigerian men’s and women’s teams have officially withdrawn from the 2026 Flag Football World Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany, over visa issues.
The withdrawal was announced in a joint statement released on Monday by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the National Sports Commission of Nigeria (NSC) and the Nigerian Federation of American Football.
Flag football is a sport synonymous with American football. However, it is a non-contact game where players wear flags on their belts and tackle each other by pulling off their flags.
Nigeria won the men’s and women’s titles at the IFAF Africa Flag continental championships in 2025 and qualified for the global competition.
However, IFAF said it made “significant efforts behind the scenes to explore every possible avenue to enable the teams to travel to Germany”, but it was to no avail.
“Regrettably, all parties were informed this morning that the visas would not be issued in time for the Championships,” the statement reads.
“Our thoughts are first and foremost with the athletes and team staff, who have worked hard to earn their place at these Championships as the inaugural IFAF African Flag Football Champions. They were looking forward to proudly representing Nigeria and making their debut appearance on the world stage.
“Due to the timing of the withdrawal, it is not possible to replace the Nigerian men’s and women’s teams with the respective reserve teams from the 2025 IFAF African Flag Football Championships. In accordance with the Competition Regulations, teams scheduled to play Nigeria in the group stage will be awarded an automatic victory.”
“While Nigeria will not take part in Düsseldorf, the nation’s pathway to the Olympic Games LA28 remains open. The Nigerian men’s and women’s teams will have the opportunity to compete at the 2027 IFAF Continental Championships, where a top-two finish would secure qualification to the Olympic Q-Series, the final stage of qualification for the LA28 Olympic Games.”
