Team Canada is not only in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in women’s flag football. They are now in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in men’s flag football too.
On Sunday in Dusseldorf, Germany, Canada defeated Mexico 34-26 in a dramatic World Championship bronze medal game that needed overtime to decide a winner. Canada is joined at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles by the host United States and Italy. The Italians qualified for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles by defeating Canada 41-36 in Saturday’s semifinal game of the World Flag Football Championships. In the gold medal game of the 2026 World Men’s Flag Football Championships, the United States beat Italy 46-26.
In the bronze medal game, three Canadians recorded touchdowns. Daniel Petermann of Stoney Creek, Ontario and Antony Auclair of Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Quebec had two touchdowns each, and James Drysdale of Terrebonne, Quebec had one touchdown. Canadian quarterback Michael O’Connor of Orleans, Ontario had five touchdown passes and 294 passing yards.
Petermann, Auclair and O’Connor all have elite professional football experience. Petermann was a Canadian Football League wide receiver for five years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa RedBlacks and British Columbia Lions from 2018 to 2023. Auclair was a National Football League tight end with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans from 2017 to 2021, and O’Connor was a CFL quarterback for three years with the Toronto Argonauts, Calgary Stampeders and Lions from 2019 to 2022.
