The International Football Alliance (IFA) was a failed, low-level outdoor, 11-man American football summer minor league that attempted to operate internationally in both Mexico and the United States.
The IFA's inaugural season began play in 2025; initially intending to have six teams, only three of which played any games. The season collapsed entirely within a month of its opening game. The league attempted to return in 2026 but ceased operation before the season start.
Premise The IFA's aim was to "deliver the highest level of American football," and "build a unified and solid American football ecosystem in Mexico," while the league mission statement read: "The International Football Alliance mission is bridging the gap in international professional football by delivering the highest level of American Football within the locations of Mexico and the United States, implementing NFL based standard rules of play, and creating an international alliance. Together with our team ownership, teams, players, and fans, we will work to build a unified and solid football ecosystem to grow American football in Mexico".
History The IFA was announced on January 25, 2023, in a press conference held by commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé. Bladé revealed that the league was to consist of 6 teams—3 in Mexico and 3 in the United States. It was later revealed that 4 of them were derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league (Guadalajara Tequileros, Chihuahua Rebellion, Cancun Sharks and Pioneros de Querétaro who moved to Dallas and were named "Dallas Pioneros"). Dallas was the only American city announced, although the commissioner mentioned a potential additional team in El Paso. In August 2023, ESPN reported that San Diego will be the sixth location, and that Art Briles and Noel Mazzone were the first coaches to be assigned to a team (Dallas Pioneers and Tequileros de Jalisco, respectively) while the league also hired Nick Rolovich and Hal Mumme. In October 2023, El Paso, Texas, was removed from the official website. On November 29, 2023, the league announced Las Vegas as its second US location after the Las Vegas Kings joined from the American Indoor Football Alliance. On December 19, 2023 the league announced its sixth team – the Gulf Coast Tarpons, but a month later the team was removed from the league website, while adding Mexico City as "targeted Location". As of January 2024, league "Commissioner" Juan Manuel Bladé was removed from the official website and longer appeared to be associated with the IFA.
The league announced tryouts for its first season in San Diego, California (July 29, 2023); Melissa, Texas (August 20, 2023); Riviera Beach, Florida (September 9, 2023); Cincinnati, Ohio (October 7, 2023); Fort Lauderdale, Florida (October 21, 2023); Atlanta, Georgia (November 11, 2023); and internationally, in Cologne, Germany, on December 10, 2023 (moved from Birmingham, England). The IFA Mexico Combine was held on December 3, 2023, in Mexico City, at Patriots Field (was open to all Mexican nationals).
In January, 2024 the league announced their plans to push the inaugural season to 2025, after securing only five teams for 2024. The IFA also announced four more teams for 2025 in Tampa Bay, Florida (Tampa Bay Tornadoes), Huntsville, Alabama (Alabama Beavers), Portland, Oregon (under the name PDX) and Louisiana (Gulf Coast Tarpons), while the later two would be removed from the website on later date. In June, 2024 San Antonio was announced as the league eighth team. Las Vegas withdrew from the league in October, 2024 and began pursuing an Arena Football One franchise. On October 25, 2024, after months of speculations, the IFA announced the six teams to be playing the 2025 season: Alabama, Baltimore, Dallas, San Antonio, Tampa and Chihuahua. Five days later, a seventh team named the Ohio Valley Ironmen was added, without mentioning where the team will play. In December, the league reported they are vetting three potential expansion teams in Georgia, Ohio and Mexico.
Both the Baltimore Lightning and the IFA issued separate statements in early January 2025 mutually announcing the Lightning were out of the IFA, but differed on who initiated; the IFA stated that the teams had voted the Lightning out of the league, while the Lightning stated it had left voluntarily. One month later, Baltimore Lightning owner Will Hanna sued the IFA and owner Jason Adams seeking, among other things, an injunction against the league and accusing Adams of defrauding other franchises, including those that had departed or folded prior to the season, with Adams responding that it was the Lightning who were defrauding the leagues in which it was a member and that the suit had no merit. On February 25, United States District Judge Russell denied Mr. Hanna's Motion for Preliminary Injunction against the IFA.
On February 28, 2025, the IFA announced the Arkansas Storm, owned by Coy Flynn and coached by Ron Calcagni, as its newest expansion franchise. The team was first reported of one of the inaugural teams in the Major League Football (MLF). The Storm was set to begin play in the 2026 season. In March, the Pioneros, owned by the IFA owner Jason Adams, moved from Dallas to Georgetown, Texas after they couldn't secure a stadium in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and subsequently changed their name to the Texas Pioneros. It was later announced they will sit out until the 2026 season.
2025 season
Despite ambitious plans, the 2025 International Football Alliance (IFA) season faced immediate operational failures. On April 14, 2025, the Alabama Beavers and the IFA mutually announced the Beavers' exit from the league amid disputes over unpaid bills, alleged felony fraud, and contractual disagreements; the Beavers claimed they had left earlier to join another league. By April 15, only Ohio Valley, Tampa, and Chihuahua remained committed to the season, while other teams suspended operations or delayed decisions.
Three weeks before the season, Anthony Richardson acquired the Beavers’ franchise, rebranding it as the Huntsville Astros. Shortly before kickoff, the San Antonio Caballeros ceased operations.
Early season turmoil included the Chihuahua Rebelión severing ties with key investors over alleged misconduct by coaching staff, and the Tampa Bay Tornadoes leaving the league to play independently after an investor withdrew funding. Ohio Valley Ironmen canceled the remainder of their season after multiple opponents pulled out. By mid-July, Chihuahua Rebelión was effectively bankrupt, leaving players stranded, and the Huntsville Astros also departed to play independently.
The IFA attempted a late-season revival by relocating Chihuahua to Ciudad Juárez and expediting the Arkansas Storm into league play; the September 13 exhibition ended in a 47–7 victory for the Dallas Prime, highlighting the makeshift nature of the Storm roster. By October 2025, the Ohio Valley Ironmen left the IFA to join the reformed Continental Football League.
Planned 2026 season Despite none of the founding or announced expansion teams entering the 2026 season, the IFA pushed forward and claimed they confirmed six core locations for the 2026 season -four in the United States and two in Mexico - while the league also considering the addition of two expansion franchises. On September 19, 2025, it was announced that the Dallas Prime would be promoted from a showcase team to a full member of the league. On October 2, the league announced that they were adding the Texas Herd and the Ft. Worth Drive. No update was given about the Arkansas Storm.
In the beginning of October, the league announced "the IFA Full Go Event", which will take place in January 24–25, 2026. The event will feature eight participating teams from México and the United States, including U18 women's game and a Collegiate All-Star Game (the Mayan Bowl). The Mayan Bowl (originally Tazón Maya) was a separate organization that featured American college graduates against ONEFA all-star team and was first played in 2024. The Mayan Bowl was later moved from January 24 to January 10, but was cancelled the day of the event.
On October 27, the IFA announced in their website that they are launching two new initiatives: the previously announced Mayan Bowl "showcasing standout recent college graduates seeking exposure and professional opportunities" (coached by Noel Mazzone, Hue Jackson and Antonio Tajonar); and an International Travel Team representing the IFA and the United States in global competitions against national and professional teams from other countries. Through these initiatives, "the IFA aims to create a pathway from college to professional football while fostering a unified international football community".
On November 8, the league announced the addition of the Georgia Rebels as the fourth team for the 2026 season. On December 18, 2025 the San Angelo Stampede were announced as the fifth team for the 2026 season. Later that month, the IFA announced an "exhibition showcase" game scheduled for January 10, 2026 between Ft. Worth Drive and the Pharr Phantoms (Pharr, TX). This game was never materialized.
On December 23, 2025, the league announced the 6th and final team for the 2026 season, PNW Football. The team was originally created to play in the IFA's Full Go 2026 event. On January 20, 2026, citing the failure for the Full Go 2026 event to materialize, Jason Adams' failure to meet financial obligations, and reimbursements still owed to the team, PNW announced they were leaving the league.https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18016161068812637/ A day later the Texas Herd published a statement which accused the league of the same issues, but stopped short on announcing they are dropping out of the league. The Herd instead became an associate member of the Continental Football League.
The 2026 season was scheduled to kickoff on April 11, 2026,https://www.instagram.com/p/DTBkKrdkh3E/ but the league ceased social media communications on January 6, 2026 and the season never materialized.
Teams The IFA had announced 6 founding member cities, 4 of which were derived from the now-defunct Fútbol Americano de México league (with the Pioneros relocating to Dallas), one "El Paso team" and additional unspecified US-based team. Commissioner Juan Manuel Bladé Cavazos stated the IFA would like to have a team in Mexico City upon procurement of a suitable ownership group. Cavazos further stated the plan was to have 10 teams by 2025, split between the 2 countries, while California and Florida are states with prospective member cities.
The number and location of teams changed multiple times, which the IFA attributed to problems with finding "viable ownership;"🚨 Big News! We’re thrilled to welcome the Ohio Valley Ironmen into the International Football Alliance for the 2025 season! International Football Alliance via Facebook. Retrieved October 30, 2024. In January 2025, the IFA announced the six teams to be playing the 2025 season: Alabama, Baltimore, Dallas, San Antonio, Tampa and Chihuahua, with future teams (including an Arkansas team announced in February) not beginning play until 2026. In reality only four teams (Astros, Ironmen, Tornadoes and Rebelión) were included in the final 2025 schedule released by the league.
In January 2026, the IFA announced it will play a 2026 season with six US-based teams each playing a six-game schedule from April 11 through May 16, 2026: Dallas Prime (DeSoto, Texas), Ft. Worth Drive (Ft. Worth, Texas), Georgia Rebels (Brunswick, Georgia), PNW Football (Bothell, Washington), San Angelo Stampede (San Angelo, Texas) and Texas Herd (Longview, Texas). PNW left the league on January 20, 2026
Announced teams before cancellation