For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, there will be a new sport. It is flag football, known as flag touch football, a variation of American football that does not require physical contact. And Mexico, thanks to the tenacity of its women’s team, is one of the countries qualified for Los Angeles 2028.
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The Olympic ticket was obtained after competing in the Flag Football World Cup in Düsseldorf, Germany. In the tournament, they faced countries such as Brazil, Spain, Japan, Germany, France, and, of course, the United States. The Mexican women reached the top four of the tournament, behind the USA and Canada. Mexico’s women’s team dominated the group stage. First, they handed Germany a 38-14 lesson, then a 53-24 win over Slovenia, and then a 14-12 victory against Italy. In the quarterfinals, the tricolor team won 27-26 against Spain. In the semifinals, Mexico lost to the Canadians (6-20). The battle for third place against England, besides fighting for the bronze, also meant fighting for the last direct ticket to the Olympic Games. The Mexican women took the victory with a score of 20-19. Meanwhile, the men’s team finished fourth in the tournament but still had chances to obtain their Olympic ticket in another event.
The Mexican team has as its main ambassador Diana Flores, who in recent years has opened a place for women from her country in this sport. She has appeared in the Super Bowl, watched by millions around the world, and is recognized by the NFL world, the largest American football league. Flores has been part of programs, such as Tochito NFL, to bring this sport throughout Mexico. Diana Flores, like the rest of her teammates, has been a pioneer in carving out a place in a sport full of testosterone and machismo. They started training and playing on alternate fields in Mexico City, and now they travel to other countries to win medals.
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“For me, hearing ‘I want to be like Diana Flores and be in the NFL’ is one of the greatest victories of my life, simply planting that seed. I would have liked to have that role model when I was a child,” the athlete told EL PAÍS in an interview.
Mexico and its dazzling flag football players have already won the World Cup twice, in 2022 and 2025. That fuels the desire for Mexicans to see their athletes fight for an Olympic medal in Los Angeles. The only times Mexicans have won a medal in team sports have been in soccer (gold in London 2012 and bronze in Tokyo 2020), as well as another bronze in archery thanks to Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vázquez, and Ángela Ruiz (Tokyo 2020). Flag football awaits to write its own history.
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