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The FIFA World Cup may currently dominate the sporting landscape across the Americas, but another football movement is beginning to take shape.
With the 2028 Summer Olympics on the horizon, flag football is rapidly emerging as one of the most anticipated additions to the Games.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently shared his excitement about the tournament and revealed that many players are eager to represent their countries on the Olympic stage.
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I’ve had a lot of players that have said, ‘We want to participate in that’,” Goodell told ESPN’s “Women’s Sports Now” last Thursday.
“These players are competitors, and they love the big stage. To win a gold medal or any medal is something I think they would all treasure. They talk about it all the time.”
Goodell added: “So I absolutely believe we’re going to have players in the Olympics.”
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Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, suggested to count him in the group of active NFL players who are interested in representing the United States in the Summer Games two years from now.
“I’m interested,” Allen told Fox News Digital on behalf of Natrol. The sleep-aid brand recently announced an expanded partnership with the Buffalo Bills quarterback.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) warms up before the first quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Allen acknowledged that watching flag football has given him an appreciation for the unique challenges the sport presents.
“I’ve always thought it would be really cool to compete for my country. Now, if I have the skillset, that’s a different story. I watched (flag football) not to long ago when it was on TV. Those guys just kind of move different, their hips are dipping a foot down and their able to evade. I can throw with the best of them. But I’m better at usually running through people than spinning and getting around them.
Allen said earning the chance to compete for gold and play for Team USA at the Summer Games would mark a special chapter in his athletic career. “We will see, I’d be very honored to do it.”
Goodell said the Olympic calendar creates a natural window for NFL players to take part, with flag football set to be played before training camps open. He expects active players — and possibly recently retired stars — to be in the mix when the sport makes its Olympic debut.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addresses the media during the Super Bowl Winning Team Head Coach and MVP Press Conference at the Mandalay Bay North Convention Center on Feb. 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
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The 2028 Summer Olympics are slated to begin in mid-July.
In May 2025, a resolution was introduced to NFL team owners which would allow one player from each NFL roster to compete in the 2028 Games. An exemption would be granted for each team’s designated international player representing his home country.
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