Mexico’s women’s flag football team secured an invitation to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics by winning the bronze medal last week at the Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany.
On the men’s side, Canada prevented Mexico from joining their female counterparts in Los Angeles, forcing overtime with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the third-place match at 26-26. The Canadians scored a touchdown and made a 2-point conversion on the opening drive of overtime, then intercepted Mexico on the ensuing possession to secure a 34-26 victory.
In their own bronze medal match Sunday, Mexico’s women — led by captain and quarterback Diana Flores — held off a Great Britain rally from a 13-0 halftime deficit, escaping with a 20-19 win to earn the Olympic bid.
Down by 1, Great Britain, the two-time defending European champs, went for a 2-point conversion with less than 2 minutes remaining, only to be denied when Emily Kemp’s left foot came down out of bounds after catching a pass at the back of the end zone.
Mexico was able to run out the clock thereafter.
“I’m so excited,” Mexico’s Angela Funes Fresan told Olympics.com. “The goal was always to bring home a medal and an Olympic spot, so I’m really happy.”
The Aug. 12-16 World Championships featured men’s and women’s 16-team fields (four groups of four teams each) with two Olympic berths at stake. The U.S. men and women were already assured of automatic bids as the host country.
Both Mexican teams emerged from group play with perfect 3-0 records to advance to the quarterfinals.
There, the women edged Spain 27-26 in dramatic fashion after coughing up a 20-6 lead to fall behind 26-20. For its part, the men easily handled Panama 33-19.
However, both stumbled in the semifinals.
Mexico’s women, ranked No. 1 in the world, were humbled by Canada 20-6, while the men came up just short against World No. 1 USA, 42-40.
Nevertheless, since the U.S. men’s and women’s teams each advanced to the finals, both Mexico squads knew that a victory in their respective third-place game would qualify them for the Los Angeles Games, where Flag Football will make its Olympics debut.
The women did so; the men did not, missing out in heartbreaking fashion.
Mexico’s men still have a chance to qualify for the Olympics via next year’s Flag Football Continental Championships.
With reports from Sports Illustrated, Conade, BBC, SportsNet and ESPN
