“The Honor of My Life”: Moritz Apfel on the Flag Football World Championship, the Olympics, and Munich

“It was incredible and truly very special”

Touchdown Munich: You probably only get to experience a home World Championship in front of a German crowd once in a lifetime. What stands out most in your personal memory from those days in Düsseldorf?

Moritz Apfel: It was incredible and truly very special. The noise from our fantastic fans, standing for the national anthem, our team chemistry—it’s all still so vivid. That’s why it’s very hard for me to single out one specific thing. It will definitely take some time to process it all.

“Personally, it’s the honor of my life”

Touchdown Munich: What did it mean to you to lead the German national flag football team onto the field as captain during this tournament?

Moritz Apfel: For one thing, it naturally makes me incredibly proud to lead the national team onto the field, especially in front of my parents. But above all, it’s both an incredible honor and a responsibility to repay the trust placed in me by the coaches and my teammates.

This role doesn’t just exist during the tournament, and I give my all throughout the entire process to get as close as possible to that goal. Personally, it’s naturally the honor of my life and something that will fill me with pride for the rest of my life.

“Satisfied, but not happy with our tournament”

Touchdown Munich: Germany made it to the quarterfinals at the 2026 IFAF Flag World Championship in Düsseldorf. Looking back with some perspective, how do you assess the tournament? And what were the decisive differences in the 22–38 loss to European champion Italy?

Moritz Apfel: On the one hand, we achieved our minimum athletic goal and showed a clear improvement in performance. On the other hand, we lost three games that we could have—or should have—won with a more mature performance.

The game against Italy was very close and played tactically. In our sport, the first mistake is unfortunately often decisive. We made that mistake after squandering one or two chances on our end. Overall, I’d say: I’m satisfied, but not happy with our tournament.

The focus is already on the 2028 Olympics

The German team failed to secure direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in Düsseldorf. For Apfel, however, the dream of the Olympics has by no means diminished.

Touchdown Munich: How big is the disappointment over missing out on direct qualification—and how quickly are you turning your attention to the next opportunity?

Moritz Apfel: You just try to take the positives from the tournament right away. For us, that means: We’re back among the world’s best, but there’s still a small gap to the very top. Closing that gap will be the task for the next cycle. We’re already focused on that again.

Touchdown Munich: What would it mean to you personally to represent Germany at the 2028 Olympic Games?

Moritz Apfel: Just being able to play for Germany is an incredible privilege. And then, after many years of competitive sports, to unexpectedly get another chance to play on the biggest stage in world sports—that’s a dream come true.

Munich Spatzen and the National Team: “Speed is highly valued internationally”

In addition to the national team, Apfel plays for the Munich Spatzen, who won the German flag football championship in 2026. Still, he sees clear differences between club and national team play.

Touchdown Munich: What’s the biggest difference between playing football on the national team and what you’re used to in Munich?

Moritz Apfel: The challenge with the national team compared to club sports is always that you have less time to coordinate. Especially on defense, you have to instinctively know what your teammate is doing—you have to develop that in a very short amount of time.

The difference in level is mainly due to athleticism. Internationally, great emphasis is placed on speed. And because of the competitive nature of the national team, training sessions are significantly more intense than what we can or want to organize in amateur sports.

From German Champion Straight to the World Championship

There were only a few weeks between the Munich Spatzen’s title win and the World Championship. So there wasn’t much time to enjoy the club’s success.

Touchdown Munich: How much confidence were you able to carry over to the national team from your successful season with the Munich Spatzen?

Moritz Apfel: Personally, I actually tried to put that out of my mind as much as possible. The finals were just two weeks before the World Championship, and we had to switch immediately from opponents to teammates, since most of our national team players also play at the highest level for their clubs. But that wasn’t a problem at all—we have a team that’s just too great, even on a personal level.

Flag Football Is Growing—Even in Munich

Flag football is currently experiencing a huge boom. NFL programs, the 2028 Olympic Games, and new opportunities in Germany are providing additional visibility.

Touchdown Munich: As a player yourself, do you notice that the perception of the sport is changing?

Moritz Apfel: Absolutely. Both from the outside—you now meet a lot of people who are familiar with the sport—and within the football bubble, because more and more tackle football players are giving it a try and realizing that it’s just a ton of fun.

This growth is particularly noticeable in Munich.

Touchdown Munich: What would need to happen for flag football to grow even bigger in Munich?

Moritz Apfel: The sport has already seen incredible growth in recent years. At the Munich Spatzen, we actually had space issues at one point that made it difficult to maintain regular training sessions for everyone. We have to thank the City of Munich for allowing us to use more time and space now.

The challenge for the future will be to build a sustainable youth program. For that, too, we need space and coaches.

“Easy to learn, but hard to master”

Anyone who saw flag football for the first time at the World Cup got a good sense of why the sport is growing so rapidly worldwide.

Touchdown Munich: Why should people definitely give flag football a try?

Moritz Apfel: If someone watched the World Cup, I think it’s self-explanatory. It’s fast-paced, challenging, easy to learn but hard to master—and above all else, it’s just incredibly fun.

Munich Remains His Home Even Off the Football Field

The fact that Apfel is now firmly established in Munich’s flag football scene is evident not only on the field.

Touchdown Munich: Do you have a favorite spot in Munich where you especially like to unwind?

Moritz Apfel: I live near the Olympic Park, so there are plenty of spots there. I also have a season pass to the Lenbachhaus, where I really enjoy spending time both in the garden and at the exhibitions.

For Apfel, this combines athletic success, the national team, and his personal home in Munich. As American football continues to grow through the NFL, the 2026 NFL Munich Game, and new flag football opportunities in Munich, he is one of the faces of a sport that is likely to receive significantly more attention by the 2028 Olympics at the latest.