Italy wrapped up the 2026 IFAF European Youth Flag Football Championships on home soil with a bronze medal and two fifth-place finishes, capping three exciting days of competition at Spiaggia Romea and Comacchio.
The event brought together 33 teams from 14 nations across three divisions – U17 Boys, U17 Girls and U15 Mixed – showcasing some of the best young flag football talent in Europe.
For Italy, the highlight came from the U17 Boys, who put together an impressive run to the podium. After going undefeated in group play with wins over Team Euro Youth and Czechia, the Italians defeated Austria 34-29 in the quarterfinals to secure a place among Europe's final four.
A 30-20 loss to Israel in the semifinal ended their hopes of reaching the championship game, but the team responded in emphatic fashion. Facing Finland for bronze, Italy delivered one of its best performances of the tournament, winning 46-26 to secure third place and a well-deserved European medal.
There were strong finishes from Italy's other two teams as well.
The U15 Mixed team opened the tournament with three straight victories before falling to eventual silver medalist Team Euro Youth in the quarterfinals. Italy bounced back with a dramatic 35-28 comeback win over Slovakia and then defeated Czechia 27-20 to claim fifth place.
The defending European champion U17 Girls also finished fifth. After a challenging tournament that included wins over Israel and France, the Italians closed their campaign on a high note with a convincing 26-6 victory over Austria.
On the international stage, Austria captured the U15 Mixed European title, defeating Team Euro Youth 59-40 in a high-scoring final. Spain won the U17 Boys championship in a thrilling 32-31 finish against Israel, while Great Britain claimed the U17 Girls crown with a 33-7 victory over Germany.
Browns Italia Makes Its Mark at the Championships
The championships also offered a highly visible showcase for the growing relationship between the Cleveland Browns, FIDAF and international flag football.
As an official partner of the event, Browns Italia had a strong presence throughout the championships, with Browns branding across all playing fields and throughout the Spiaggia Romea Village, which served as the home base for the participating teams during the event.
The Browns Italia logo was also featured on the apparel worn by FIDAF staff and volunteers, making the brand a visible part of the championships not only on the competition fields, but also through the people working behind the scenes to make the event possible.
The NFL's presence as a partner of the event further strengthened that connection, building on the collaboration with IFAF already successfully showcased at the World Championships in Düsseldorf. Together, these initiatives underline a shared commitment to growing flag football internationally and creating new opportunities for the next generation of players as the sport moves toward its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
That connection was brought to life during the tournament when Italian senior national team stars Luke Zahradka and Andrea Fantin joined the young athletes at Spiaggia Romea.
Fresh from winning silver at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf and helping Italy secure qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, Zahradka and Fantin took part in a special meet and greet with young players and fans.
With their World Championship silver medals on display, the two Italian stars shared stories and emotions from Düsseldorf, answered questions and encouraged the young athletes to keep working toward their own goals. They later moved to the sidelines to cheer on the Italian youth teams during the decisive stages of the competition.
For Italian flag football, the weekend was about much more than results. Just weeks after the senior men's historic World Championship silver medal and Olympic qualification, the performances at Spiaggia Romea provided another glimpse of the talent coming through the Italian pathway.
And with the Cleveland Browns, FIDAF, the NFL and IFAF continuing to invest in the development and visibility of the game, the European Youth Championships offered another important step in building the next generation of flag football players on the road to LA28 and beyond.
