Football Canada Announces Senior Men’s National Flag Football Team Top 16 Roster
Thursday May 21, 2026
OTTAWA, ON – Football Canada is pleased to announce the Top 16 athletes selected for the 2026 Men’s Senior National Flag Football Team, following the Selection Camp held earlier this month in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The selected athletes will continue through Football Canada’s high-performance pathway as Canada prepares for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany this August, a tournament that will serve as the first opportunity for nations to secure qualification toward flag football’s historic debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Flag football has been officially added to the Olympic program for LA28, marking a major milestone for the sport globally and creating a new era of international competition for Canadian athletes.
The athletes were identified following a multi-day national evaluation process led by Head Coach Paul LaPolice and Football Canada’s high-performance staff, bringing together top athletes from across the country to compete within the national program environment.
“This Top 16 reflects the standard we’re driving in Canada’s men’s flag football pathway,” said Warren Craney, Director of High Performance, Coaching, and Athlete Development. “Under Coach LaPolice’s attention to detail, our selection process is built around the pieces that decide games at a professional level, efficiency on offense, limiting explosive plays on defense, winning in critical situations, and finishing possessions in the end zone. These athletes consistently executed the details that translates to success. As we build toward Düsseldorf, our focus is razor sharp on the process, beginning with our first June training camp in Chula Vista in June.”
“Excited for our 2nd year with the National Men’s program, we believe we are faster stronger and more athletic as a team than last year,” said Head Coach Paul LaPolice. “We believe we have some of the best flag football players in the world and we are excited about how well they have continued to grow together and learn how to play the game of Flag football at the highest levels. We expect to be competing for a medal in the world championships this season and we will diligently continue to work to achieve that goal this year.”
The Top 16 athletes represent the next phase of the selection process. Athletes will travel to Chula Vista in June for Training Camp, with the final roster that will represent Canada internationally to be announced ahead of the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships.
2026 Men’s Senior National Flag Football Top 16 Roster
| # | First Name | Last Name | Position | Hometown |
| 1 | Domenic | Horvath | R | Winnipeg |
| 2 | Guillaume | Beland | CB | Montreal |
| 3 | James | Drysdale | WR | Montreal |
| 5 | Émile | Chênevert | HB | Quebec City |
| 6 | Pascal | Foccroulle-Ménard | HB | Gatineau |
| 7 | Dimitrios | Sinodinos | 2Q | Montreal |
| 8 | Antony | Auclair | WR | Quebec City |
| 10 | Nick | Statz | CB | Calgary |
| 11 | François | Rocheleau | WR | Montreal |
| 13 | Phillipe | Pharand | R | Montreal |
| 15 | Michael | O’Connor | QB | Coquitlam |
| 21 | Anthony | Brisebois | HB | Montreal |
| 22 | Maxym | Lavallée | CB | Quebec City |
| 23 | Daniel | Petermann | WR | Stoney Creek |
| 24 | Marc-Antoine | Dequoy | – | Montreal |
| 83 | Daniel | Vandervoort | WR | Barrie |
About Football Canada
Football Canada is the national governing body for amateur football in Canada and is committed to developing, promoting, and growing tackle, flag, and touch football across the country from grassroots participation to high performance national teams.
Media Contact:
Emma McCamus
Manager, Marketing, Content & Brand
Football Canada
647-614-2596
