View source for IFAF World Championship

{{Short description|International gridiron competition}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox Sports league
| title          = IFAF World Championship of American Football
| upcoming_season = TBA
| logo           =
| sport          = American football
| founded        = 1999 
| teams          = 12 (tournament)<!-- As of 2015 tournament--><br />71 (eligible national teams)
| champion       = {{af|United States}} (3rd title)
| most_champs    = {{af|United States}} (3 titles)
| website        = [https://www.americanfootball.sport/events/senior-mens-world-championship Official website]
}}
The '''IFAF World Championship of  American Football''' (also known as the '''IFAF World Cup''') is an international [[American football|gridiron]] competition held every four years<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifaf.org/pages/competition/senior |title=IFAF Senior World Championship |publisher=International Federation of American Football |access-date=October 21, 2011 |quote=The IFAF Senior World Championship is held every four years having first been contested in 1999.}}</ref> and contested by teams representing member nations. The competition is run by the [[International Federation of American Football]] (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport. Seventy-one nations have a national American football team. The most recent tournament, in 2015, featured seven teams.

The defending champions are the [[United States national American football team|United States]], who won the [[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015 championship]] after winning both the [[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]] and [[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]] editions. The U.S. team did not compete in the World Cup until 2007 and have won every tournament since. Prior to the American entrance, [[Japan national American football team|Japan]] won the [[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]] and [[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003 championships]].

The championship was held in [[Italy]] in 1999, in Germany in 2003, in [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]], Japan in 2007, and in [[Austria]] in 2011. The [[2015 IFAF World Championship]] was originally going to be held in [[Stockholm]], Sweden, but local organizers had to cancel the event due to lack of sponsorship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stockholm2015.org/world-championship-moves/ |title=&#91;PRESS RELEASE&#93; World Championship moves » IFAF World Championship American Football Stockholm 2015 VM Amerikansk fotboll |website=stockholm2015.org |access-date=6 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222113329/http://stockholm2015.org/world-championship-moves/ |archive-date=22 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The 2015 tournament was played in [[Canton, Ohio]], United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ifaf.org/articles/view/1592 |title=EIGHT TEAMS TO BATTLE FOR THE IFAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN CANTON, OHIO |publisher=International Federation of American Football |access-date=February 16, 2015 |quote=The 2015 IFAF World Championship will be contested in Canton, Ohio between the 8th and 19th of July with all games staged at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.}}</ref>

The 2025 edition was a twice postponed event. First scheduled then cancelled in Australia in 2019, it was moved to Germany in for 2023 then postponed, then rescheduled for 2025. No announcements have been made about the 2025 event, leading many to speculate it has been cancelled by IFAF.

==Tournament format==
At the 2011 championship, the championship tournament consisted of eight teams divided into two groups of four (there were six teams in 1999 and 2007, four in 2003, and seven in 2015). The opening round featured a [[round-robin tournament]] within the groups, with each team playing each other once, but as opposed to a tournament bracket after the games were completed, the teams with the best record from each group met in the gold medal game, with the second-place teams in each group playing for the bronze medal, the third-place teams playing in the 5th-place game, and the fourth-place teams playing in the 7th-place game, thus guaranteeing each team four games.

Automatic berths included the host nation and the defending champions. Both finalists from the [[European Championship of American football]] tournament received berths. Two teams from the [[IFAF Americas|Pan American Federation of American Football]] received berths, as did one member each from the [[IFAF Asia|Asian Federation of American Football]] and from the [[IFAF Oceania|Oceania Federation of American Football]].

For the 2019 championship (postponed to 2023, then 2025), the tournament will expand to 12 teams.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifaf.org/articles/view/887/Lw== |title=SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD |date=October 12, 2011 |publisher=International Federation of American Football |access-date=October 21, 2011 |quote=Sweden will host the 2015 International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship when the national teams of 12 countries from four continents converge on the capital city of Stockholm.}}</ref> Teams will be divided into four groups, each consisting of three teams. Teams will play the other two teams in their group once each, for a total of two group-stage games. Teams will then advance to the second round, and from there to the placement and medal games.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifaf.org/articles/view/887/Lw== |title=SWEDEN TO HOST 2015 INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL SENIOR WORLD |date=October 12, 2011 |publisher=International Federation of American Football |access-date=October 21, 2011 |quote=At the 2015 tournament the 12 teams will be split into four groups of three for a round robin stage leading to the second round and then placement and medal games that will take place during 10 playing days with rest days in between.}}</ref>

Because American football is far more dominant in the United States than anywhere else in the world, the United States did not field a team in the tournament for its first two editions. The United States has fielded a squad for the last three iterations, but with extremely restrictive criteria that make most American football players ineligible for the team. Despite the restrictions, the United States has won all three world championships in which they have competed. Similarly, Canada (where [[Canadian football]], a related sport, has widespread popularity) did not participate until the 2011 competition, when the Canadian team finished second to the United States.

==Results==
===Summaries===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; width: 100%; text-align: center;"
|-
!rowspan=2 width=5%|Year 
!rowspan=2 width=10%|Host 
!colspan=3|Final 
!colspan=3|Third-place match 
!rowspan=2 width=4%|Number of teams
|-
!width=15%|Champions
!width=8%|Score 
!width=15%|Runners-up 
!width=15%|3rd place
!width=8%|Score 
!width=15%|4th place 
|-
|[[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]] 
|{{flagicon|Italy}} <br />[[Italy]] 
|'''{{af-big|Japan|1947}}'''
|'''6–0''' ([[Overtime (sports)|OT]])
|{{af-big|Mexico}}
|{{af-big|Sweden}}
|'''38–13'''
|{{af-big|Italy}}
|6
|- style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|[[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]]
|{{flagicon|Germany}} <br /> [[Germany]]
|'''{{af-big|Japan}}'''<ref name=2003championship>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldcup2003.info/text.php3?Inhalt=espielplan |title=SCHEDULE |publisher=German Football Partners |access-date=October 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218120134/http://www.worldcup2003.info/text.php3?Inhalt=espielplan |archive-date=February 18, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|'''34–14'''
|{{af-big|Mexico}}
|{{af-big|Germany}}
|'''36–7'''
|{{af-big|France|1974}} 
|4
|-
|[[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]] 
|{{flagicon|Japan}} <br />[[Japan]] 
|'''{{af-big|United States}}'''
|'''23–20''' ([[Overtime (sports)|OT]])
|{{af-big|Japan}}
|{{af-big|Germany}}
|'''7–0'''
|{{af-big|Sweden}}
|6
|- style="background: #D0E6FF;"
|[[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]] 
|{{flagicon|Austria}} <br />[[Austria]] 
|'''{{af-big|United States}}'''
| '''50–7'''
|{{af-big|Canada}}
|{{af-big|Japan}}
| '''17–14'''
|{{af-big|Mexico}}
|8
|-
|[[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]] 
|{{flagicon|USA}} <br />[[United States]]
|'''{{af-big|United States}}'''
| '''59–12'''
|{{af-big|Japan}}
|{{af-big|Mexico}}
| '''20–7'''
|{{af-big|France|1974}}
|7
|}

===Results===
[[File:Cody Hawkins Colorado.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Cody Hawkins]], quarterback of the United States 2011 World Championship team.]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!'''Team''' 
!'''[[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]]'''<br />(6)
!'''[[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]]'''<br />(4)
!'''[[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]]'''<br />(6)
!'''[[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]]'''<br />(8)
!'''[[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]]'''<br />(7)
|-
|align=left|{{af|AUS}}
|5th
| –
| –
|8th
|5th
|-
|align=left|{{af|AUT}}
| –
| –
| –
|7th
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|BRA}}
| –
| –
| –
| –
| 7th
|-
|align=left|{{af|CAN}}
| –
| –
| –
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|FIN}}
|6th
| –
| –
| –
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|FRA}}
| –
|4th
|6th
|6th
|4th
|-
|align=left|{{af|GER}}
| –
| bgcolor="#cc9966" |3rd
| bgcolor="#cc9966" |3rd
|5th
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|ITA}}
|4th
| –
| –
| –
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|JPN}}
|bgcolor=gold|'''1st'''
|bgcolor=gold|'''1st'''
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
| bgcolor="#cc9966" |3rd
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|-
|align=left|{{af|MEX}}
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
|bgcolor=silver|2nd
| –
| 4th
| bgcolor="#cc9966" |3rd
|-
|align=left|{{af|KOR}}
| –
| –
|5th
| –
|6th
|-
|align=left|{{af|SWE}}
| bgcolor="#cc9966" |3rd
| –
|4th
| –
| –
|-
|align=left|{{af|USA}}
| –
| –
|bgcolor=gold|'''1st'''
|bgcolor=gold|'''1st'''
|bgcolor=gold|'''1st'''
|-
|}

===Rankings===
{| class="wikitable" width=80%
|-
!width=1%| Pos.
!width=15%| Team
!style="background:#FFD700;" width=15%| Champions
!style="background:#C0C0C0;" width=10%| Runners-up
!style="background:#CC9966;" width=10%| Third
!width=10%| Fourth
|-
|1st
|'''{{af|USA}}'''
|'''3''' ([[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]], [[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]], [[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]])
| –
| –
| –
|-
|2nd
|'''{{af|JPN}}'''
|'''2''' ([[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]], [[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]])
|'''2''' ([[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]], [[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]])
|'''1''' ([[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]])
| –
|-
|3rd
|{{af|MEX}}
| –
|'''2''' ([[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]], [[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]])
|'''1''' ([[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]])
|1 ([[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]])
|-
|4th
|{{af|CAN}}
| –
|'''1''' ([[2011 IFAF World Championship|2011]])
| –
| –
|-
|5th
|{{af|GER}}
| –
| –
|'''2''' ([[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]], [[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]])
| –
|-
|6th
|{{af|SWE}}
| –
| –
|'''1''' ([[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]])
|1 ([[2007 IFAF World Championship|2007]])
|-
|7th
|{{af|FRA}}
| –
| –
| –
|2 ([[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]], [[2015 IFAF World Championship|2015]])
|-
|8th
|{{af|ITA}}
| –
| –
| –
|1 ([[1999 IFAF World Championship|1999]])
|}

==IFAF World Championship records==
===Rushing yards===
====Tournament====
: 447 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden (1999)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ifaf.org/media/download/819|title = Football}}</ref>

====Game====
: 232 – Lars Gustafsson, Sweden (Sweden vs. Italy, 3 July 1999)

===Rushing touchdowns===
====Tournament====
: 5 – DeShawn Thomas, U.S. (2011)

====Game====
: 3 – Mario Nerad, Austria (Australia vs. Austria, 15 July 2011)

===Passing yards===
====Tournament====
: 881 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)

====Game====
: 281 – Kiernan Dorney, Australia (Australia vs. Germany, 12 July 2011)

===Touchdown passes===
====Tournament====
: 6 – [[Michael Faulds]], Canada (2011)
: 6 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany (2011)

====Game====
: 4 Jared Stegman, Australia (Australia vs South Korea, 9 July 2015)

===Interceptions thrown===
====Tournament====
: 7 – Jarkko Nieminen, Finland (1999)

====Game====
: 3 – Kiernan Dorney, Austria vs. Australia (15 July 2011)
: 3 – Carlos Altimirano, Mexico vs. Germany (10 July 2003)
: 3 – Joachim Ullrich, Germany vs. Mexico (10 July 2003)
: 3 – David Ward, Austria vs. Japan (1 July 1999)

===Receiving yards===
====Tournament====
: 433 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)

====Game====
: 180 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs France (16 July 2011)

===Receptions===
====Tournament====
: 26 – [[Nate Kmic]], U.S. (2011)

====Game====
: 8 – Niklas Roemer, Germany vs. Austria (12 July 2011)
: 8 – Nate Kmic, U.S. vs. Germany (12 July 2011)
: 8 – Boti Bramer, Germany vs. Mexico (10 July 2003)

===Touchdown receptions===
====Tournament====
: 4 – Niklas Roemer, Germany (2011)
: 4 – Matteo Soresini, Italy (1999)

====Game====
: 2 – by several players, most recent: Trent Steelman, U.S. vs. France (15 July 2015)

===Longest plays===
====Rushing====
: 88 – N.Khandar, France vs Australia (12 July 2015)

====Passing====
: 89 – Ullrich to Roemer, Germany vs. France (16 July 2011)

====Punt return====
: 85 – Marcel Duft, Germany vs. Sweden (14 July 2007)

====Kickoff return====
: 102 – [[Anthony Dablé]], France vs. Brazil (8 July 2015)

====Interception return====
: 95 – Marcus Weil, Germany vs. U.S. (12 July 2007)

====Fumble return====
: 10 Terrence Jackson, U.S. vs. Germany (7 July 2011)

====Field goal====
: 56 – [[José Carlos Maltos]], Mexico vs. Austria (10 July 2011)

====Blocked punt return touchdown====
: 26 – Diezeas Calbert, U.S. vs. Australia (8 July 2011)

====Blocked field goal return touchdown====
: 75 – [[Johnny Dingle]], U.S. vs. Germany (10 July 2011)

==See also==
* [[International Federation of American Football]]
* [[IFAF Women's World Championship]]
* [[IFAF Junior World Championship]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{International American football}}
{{IFAF World Championship winners}}
{{IFAF World Championship}}
{{Main world championships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:IFAF World Championship}}
[[Category:IFAF World Championship| ]]
[[Category:World championships in football variants|IFAF]]
[[Category:IFAF competitions]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1999]]