Fanatics Flag Football Classic

Fanatics Flag Football Classic
Tournament information
SportFlag football
LocationLos Angeles, California
DateMarch 21, 2026
Tournament
format
Round-robin tournament
VenueBMO Stadium
Teams3
Tournament statistics
Matches played4

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is an upcoming five-on-five flag football tournament featuring several current and former National Football League (NFL) players. The exhibition will be held on March 21, 2026, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and was organized in part to promote flag football at the Summer Olympics ahead of its debut at the 2028 Games.

The event was originally set to be held in Riyadh in March 2026, which drew criticism from various sources over Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record and allegations of sportwashing.[1][2][3] It was later moved to Los Angeles due to the ongoing 2026 Iran war.

The event will feature three teams, including one represented by the United States men's national flag football team, in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams advancing to the championship game.

History

On September 15, 2025, a five-on-five flag football tournament called the Fanatics Flag Football Classic was announced as a partnership between Tom Brady, Fanatics, Inc., Fox Sports, and OBB Media. It was originally scheduled for March 21, 2026, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Season, comprising three teams of eight current and former NFL players (including Brady) facing off in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams advancing to a championship game. The event will be played under Olympic-style flag football rules, using a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones and two 20-minute halves. It would air on Fox Sports and Tubi and be hosted by Kevin Hart.[4][5]

The day after the official announcement, the NFL confirmed to ProFootballTalk that the tournament was "not a league initiative."[6] On September 20, the league sent out a memo to all 32 teams, reiterating that it was "not an NFL-sanctioned event" and, therefore, not subject to the protections of the NFL collective bargaining agreement in the event of an injury.[7]

At an event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, in January 2026, Brady revealed the named of the three teams – Founders, Wildcats, and Mustangs – along with their respective jerseys. He was joined onstage by Jayden Daniels, who was announced as the Wildcats captain. It was also revealed that the event would feature a performance from rapper Travis Scott.[8][9]

On March 6, 2026, it was announced that the event would be relocated to BMO Stadium in Los Angeles due to the ongoing 2026 Iran war affecting Saudi Arabia, with the date to be determined.[10] Three days later, a revamped format with three 12-player teams was announced. Two teams would be composed of current and former NFL players along with non-NFL athletes, while the third represented by the United States men's national flag football team. The Olympic rules were slightly modified, moving to 15-minute halves with a running clock on a 50-by-25-yard field, and the original date of March 21 was reinstated.[11][12]

Teams

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will feature three 12-player teams. Brady and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will co-captain the Founders FFC, coached by Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will co-captain the Wildcats FFC, coached by Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers. Additionally, Robert Saleh of the Tennessee Titans will assist both squads as a defensive specialist. Both teams will fill out their rosters via player draft on March 18, picking from a pool of 24 athletes. The third team will be represented by the United States men's national flag football team, co-captained by Aamir Brown and Darrell Doucette and coached by Jorge Cascudo.[11][12]

The full list of participants was released on March 10, 2026.[13]

Player draft

Team Captains Head coach
Founders FFC Tom Brady
Jalen Hurts 		Sean Payton
Wildcats FFC Joe Burrow
Jayden Daniels 		Kyle Shanahan
U.S. national team Aamir Brown
Darrell Doucette 		Jorge Cascudo
Draft pool
Running backs Wide receivers / Tight ends Linebackers / Defensive backs Non-NFL players
Saquon Barkley
Ashton Jeanty
Alvin Kamara 		Myles Garrett
Derwin James
Luke Kuechly
Tyrann Mathieu
Von Miller
Jalen Ramsey 		Davante Adams
Odell Beckham Jr.
Stefon Diggs
Rob Gronkowski
DeAndre Hopkins
Kyle Juszczyk
Deebo Samuel
DeVonta Smith 		Terence Crawford
Logan Paul
IShowSpeed

Rosters

Founders FFC
Wildcats FFC
U.S. national team

References

  1. ^ Paez-Pumar, Luis (September 16, 2025). "Tom Brady Adds Sportswashing To His Impressive Résumé". Defector. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  2. ^ Austin, Ahmad Jr. (September 17, 2025). "Sports Podcaster Goes OFF on 'Embarrassing' US Leagues Partnering With Saudi Arabia". Mediaite. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  3. ^ Kurup, Sahil (October 17, 2025). "NFL fans furious at idea of league playing game in Saudi Arabia — 'I'm out'". Daily Mirror. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  4. ^ "Tom Brady, Fanatics, Riyadh Season, FOX Sports and OBB Media Announce Groundbreaking Inaugural Flag Football Event" (Press release). Fanatics, Inc. September 15, 2025. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  5. ^ Williams, Eric (September 15, 2025). "Fanatics Flag Football Classic: 5 Things to Know as Tom Brady Returns to Football". Fox Sports. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  6. ^ Florio, Mike (September 16, 2025). "NFL: Saudi Arabian flag-football tournament is not a league initiative". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  7. ^ Florio, Mike (September 19, 2025). "NFL reminds teams of CBA rules regarding Saudi Arabian flag football". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  8. ^ Jhabvala, Nicki (January 14, 2026). "Jayden Daniels to join Tom Brady in Fanatics flag football event in Saudi Arabia". The Athletic. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  9. ^ Smith, Chris (January 14, 2026). "Tom Brady reveals new details for Fanatics Flag Football Classic". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  10. ^ Holder, Larry; Russini, Dianna (March 6, 2026). "Tom Brady, Fanatics flag football event moving from Saudi Arabia to L.A. due to war: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  11. ^ a b Schilken, Chuck (March 9, 2026). "Flag football event featuring Tom Brady moved to BMO Stadium from Saudi Arabia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  12. ^ a b Holder, Larry (March 9, 2026). "Current and former NFL stars to face Team USA in revamped Fanatics Flag Football Classic". The Athletic. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  13. ^ "Fanatics Flag Football Classic Announces More Star Power with Additional NFL Players and World Class Athletes Set to Compete on March 21 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles" (Press release). Fanatics, Inc. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
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