Flag Football WC Flashback: The Switzerland Surprise

In a short series, IFAF looks back at some of the highlights and stories that emerged from the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Finland at the end of August, starting with Switzerland’s unexpected glory in the men’s bracket.

There were several potential upsets being considered heading into the men’s tournament as 32 teams from five continents battled for the world title.

Were Mexico best placed to deny USA a fifth straight world title, or perhaps European champions Germany or their continental rivals Austria were on course for a surprise gold? New Zealand and Japan were considered as potential medal contenders from the Asia-Oceania region and Canada and Panama carried hopes of more rewards for the Americas.

Switzerland, ranked 14th in the world, flew well below most or all radars.

Perhaps the signs that the Swiss would pull off four surprise wins and head back to Europe with a bronze medal had been there last summer at the continental championships held in Limerick, Ireland.

Switzerland had blazed to a 4-0 record and were the competition’s joint-highest scorers after the group stages with 192 points. But there was no way past six-time winners and defending champions Denmark in the quarterfinals and the deflated Swiss subsequently lost a placement game to Great Britain.

Read full article here.