The 2026 American Football League Europe season was the inaugural season of the American Football League Europe, a professional American football league based in Europe. Eight teams from seven countries participated. The season started on May 23, 2026, and concluded with the championship game, called AFLE Gold Bowl on September 6, 2026.
Format and Teams
The new league was presented in December 2025. It is composed of four teams which previously played in the European League of Football, one from the BAFA National Leagues, and three newly founded teams. The teams are divided into two regional conferences: North/West and South/East.
Each team will play each other team in the conference twice, and from the other conference two teams twice and two teams once. Hence each team will play twelve games over fourteen weeks. The two conference winners and the additional two best teams overall will qualify for the playoffs.
+TeamsLocationStadiumCapacityHead Coach2025North/West Division Alpine Rams Biel/BienneTissot Arena (5 games) 5,200 Joshua Fitzgerald new WinterthurStadion Deutweg (1 game) 540 London Warriors LondonCherry Red Records Stadium (2 games) 9,215 Tony Allen BAFA Premier, 9–1, lost Championship GameRosslyn Park Stadium (1 game) 2,000Trailfinders Sports Ground (2 games) 5,388 PalmaEstadio Balear (1 game) 5,500 Paris Lights L'Île-Saint-DenisComplexe Sportif de l’Île-des-Vannes (1 game) 6,000 David Shelton new Athis-MonsStade Robert Barran (1 game) 300 ParisVélodrome Jacques-Anquetil (4 games) 7,151 Rhein Fire Düsseldorf/DuisburgSchauinsland-Reisen-Arena (6 games) 31,500 Mark Ridgley ELF, 8–4, Wild Card game OberhausenNiederrheinstadion (1 game) 17,165South/East DivisionBerlin Thunder BerlinFriedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion 2,000 Shawn CooperELF, 3–9 Firenze Red Lions FlorenceGuelfi Sports Center (1 game) 750 Bill Shuey newStadio Gino Bozzi (5 games) 3,800 Vienna Vikings ViennaWiener Sport-Club Stadium (6 games) 5,600 Chris Calaycay ELF, 11–1, lost Championship GameGenerali Arena (1 game) 15,014 Panthers Wrocław WrocławOlympic Stadium (5 games) 11,000 Dave Likins ELF, 5–7Tarczyński Arena (1 game) 45,105
Regular season
Overview
Standings
North/West Division
South/East Division
League Wide
Schedule Week 1 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 23 May5:00 pm Berlin Thunder 7 – 49 Vienna Vikings Wiener Sport-Club Stadium, Vienna 3,821 Sun, 24 May2:00 pm Panthers Wrocław 41 – 21 London Warriors Cherry Red Records Stadium, London 503 Bye week Firenze Red Lions, Paris Lights, Alpine Rams, Rhein Fire
Week 2 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 30 May10:00 am Firenze Red Lions 8 – 30 Paris Lights Complexe Sportif de l’Île-des-Vannes, L'Île-Saint-Denis 1,100 6:00 pm London Warriors 6 – 43 Rhein Fire Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 4,886 Sun, 31 May2:40 pm Vienna Vikings 42 – 23 Panthers Wrocław Olympic Stadium, Wrocław 1,829 4:10 pm Berlin Thunder 24 – 14 Alpine RamsTissot Arena, Biel/Bienne
Week 3 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 6 June1:00 pm Panthers Wrocław 22 – 14 Paris Lights Stade Robert Barran, Athis-Mons 537 4:10 pm Berlin Thunder 45 – 12 Firenze Red Lions Guelfi Sports Center, Florence 66 4:45 pm Rhein Fire 10 – 24 Vienna Vikings Generali Arena, Vienna 11,209 Sun, 7 June3:00 pm Alpine Rams 23 – 20 London Warriors Cherry Red Records Stadium, London 526
Week 4 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 13 June 6:00 pm Alpine Rams 20 – 47 Vienna Vikings Wiener Sport-Club Stadium, Vienna 3,856 Paris Lights 0 – 35 Rhein Fire Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 4,219 Sun, 14 June2:00 pm Firenze Red Lions 26 – 51 London Warriors Rosslyn Park Stadium, London 230 4:10 pm Berlin Thunder 12 – 50 Panthers Wrocław Tarczyński Arena, Wrocław 5,143
Week 5 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 20 June6:00 pm Paris Lights23 – 22 Alpine Rams Tissot Arena, Biel/Bienne 406 Sun, 21 June3:00 pm Vienna Vikings 62 – 10 London Warriors Trailfinders Sports Ground, London 5:10 pm Berlin Thunder36 – 45 Rhein Fire Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 4,907 Bye week Firenze Red Lions, Panthers Wrocław
Week 6 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 27 June5:10 pm Rhein Fire 45 – 13 Alpine Rams Tissot Arena, Biel/Bienne Sun, 28 June2:30 pm Panthers Wrocław 48 – 7 Firenze Red Lions Stadio Gino Bozzi, Florence Bye week Berlin Thunder, London Warriors, Paris Lights, Vienna Vikings
Week 7 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 4 July3:00 pm Paris Lights 36 – 45 Panthers Wrocław Olympic Stadium, Wrocław 2,659 5:00 pm London Warriors 44 – 34 Firenze Red Lions Stadio Gino Bozzi, Florence Sun, 5 July4:40 pm Vienna Vikings 45 – 7 Berlin Thunder Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin Bye week Alpine Rams, Rhein Fire
Week 8 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 11 July4:30 pm London Warriors 27 – 26 Alpine RamsTissot Arena, Biel/Bienne 400 6:00 pm Paris Lights 6 – 56 Vienna VikingsWiener Sport-Club Stadium, Vienna 4,146 Sun, 12 July2:00 pm Firenze Red Lions 3 – 49 Berlin ThunderFriedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin 4:55 pm Panthers Wrocław 7 – 48 Rhein FireSchauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 5,008
Week 9 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 18 July1:00 pm London Warriors44 – 23 Paris LightsVélodrome Jacques-Anquetil, Paris 5:10 pm Alpine Rams17 – 40 Berlin ThunderFriedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin 230 Vienna Vikings28 – 16 Rhein FireSchauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 6,055 Sun, 19 July3:00 pm Firenze Red Lions0 – 62 Panthers WrocławOlympic Stadium, Wrocław 1,378
Week 10 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance Ref Sat, 25 July3:00 pm Alpine Rams14 – 44 Panthers WrocławOlympic Stadium, Wrocław 1,655 Sun, 26 July4:40 pm Rhein Fire66 – 6 Paris LightsVélodrome Jacques-Anquetil, Paris 5:00 pm Vienna Vikings68 – 6 Firenze Red Lions Stadio Gino Bozzi, Florence Bye week Berlin Thunder, London Warriors
Week 11 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 1 August5:10 pm Paris Lights45 – 26 Firenze Red Lions Stadio Gino Bozzi, Florence 43 6:00 pm Alpine Rams6 – 59 Rhein Fire Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Duisburg 5,136 Sun, 2 August3:10 pm London Warriors40 – 29 Berlin Thunder Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin 364 Bye week Panthers Wrocław, Vienna Vikings
Week 12 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 8 August4:00 pm Firenze Red Lions 42 – 45 Alpine RamsTissot Arena, Biel/Bienne 6:00 pm Panthers Wrocław 34 – 31 Vienna VikingsWiener Sport-Club Stadium, Vienna 4,215 Sun, 9 August3:00 pm Paris Lights 26 – 34 London WarriorsTrailfinders Sports Ground, London 1,312 4:10 pm Rhein Fire 49 – 28 Berlin ThunderFriedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin 786
Week 13 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 15 August1:00 pm Berlin Thunder 47 – 8 Paris LightsVélodrome Jacques-Anquetil, Paris 252 6:00 pm Vienna Vikings 47 – 24 Alpine RamsStadion Deutweg, Winterthur 534 Sun, 16 August3:00 pm London Warriors 0 – 41 Panthers WrocławOlympic Stadium, Wrocław 4:40 pm Rhein Fire 66 – 14 Firenze Red Lions Stadio Gino Bozzi, Florence 93
Week 14 Date Time Away teamResult Home team Venue Attendance RefSat, 22 August3:00 pm Panthers Wrocław36 – 33 Berlin ThunderFriedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Kleines Stadion, Berlin 375 6:00 pm Firenze Red Lions17 – 63 Vienna VikingsWiener Sport-Club Stadium, Vienna 4,127 8:00 pm Rhein Fire40 – 30 London WarriorsEstadio Balear, Palma de Mallorca 1,346 Sun, 23 August1:00 pm Alpine Rams34 – 28 Paris LightsVélodrome Jacques-Anquetil, Paris 272
Attendance
Play-offs
The Gold Bowl was played on 6 September 2026 at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in Duisburg.
Semi-finals London Warriors 34, Vienna Vikings 71
Panthers Wrocław 41, Rhein Fire 40
Gold Bowl Panthers Wrocław 5, Vienna Vikings 62
Awards
MVP of the Week Week Player Position Team 1 Jameson Wang Quarterback Panthers Wrocław 2 Kenji Bahar Quarterback Rhein Fire 3 Jon Cole Wide Receiver Berlin Thunder 4 Karé Lyles Quarterback London Warriors 5 Tiberio Calbucci Linebacker Paris Lights 6 Bartosz Woch Running Back Panthers Wrocław 7 Karri Pajarinen Running Back Vienna Vikings 8 Jezreel Agu Defensive End London Warriors 9 Jameson Wang Quarterback Panthers Wrocław 10 Albert Wiesigstrauch Running Back Vienna Vikings 11 Andy Owusu Running Back London Warriors 12 Jezreel Agu Defensive End London Warriors 13 Jameson Wang Quarterback Panthers Wrocław 14 Jon Cole Wide Receiver Berlin Thunder SF Jameson Wang Wide Receiver Panthers Wrocław GB Mike Harley Jr. Quarterback Vienna Vikings
Season Awards AwardPlayerTeamPositionMost Valuable Player Jameson WangPanthers WrocławQuarterbackOffensive Player of the Year Jon ColeBerlin ThunderWide ReceiverDefensive Player of the Year Nazir SteatherRhein FireSafetyYoungster of the Year Noel SwancarVienna VikingsLinebackerMost Improved Offensive Player of the Year Bais KouandaBerlin ThunderWide ReceiverMost Improved Defensive Player of the Year Diego PazRhein FireDefensive EndSpecial Teams Player of the Year Brandon BelgraveFirenze Red LionsKick ReturnerOffensive Lineman of the Year Sven BreidenbachRhein FireOffensive TackleHomegrown of the Year Kevin KayaAlpine RamsWide ReceiverCoach of the Year Chris CalaycayVienna VikingsHead CoachAssistant Coach of the Year Jordan NeumanVienna VikingsOffensive Coordinator Source:
References