Nordic Storm Announces Plans to Join the American Football League Europe

Nordic Storm, champion of the European Football Alliance (EFA) for the 2026 season, is planning to join the American Football League Europe (AFLE) ahead of the 2027 season, subject to the completion of certain contractual and organizational steps. The Copenhagen-based team completed an 11-1 season in 2026. The move would bring Scandinavia into the AFLE for the first time.

The planned move underlines the league’s momentum. Founded in December 2025, the AFLE completed its inaugural season with eight franchises from seven countries, crowned the Vienna Vikings at the Gold Bowl in Duisburg and built a broadcast network across Europe and the United States: Sport1, Krone TV, Polsat Sport, Sport en France, Swiss Sport, Red Bull TV and AXS TV. Every game streams on AFLE+. Since October, former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula has led the league as CEO, while founder Joel Nagel remains its owner and Chairman of the Board.

Nordic Storm’s planned participation could bring together the champions of both European leagues: AFLE Gold Bowl winner Vienna Vikings against 2026 EFA champion Nordic Storm.

What the AFLE Offers Its Clubs

For Nordic Storm, the prospect of joining the AFLE means more than a new list of opponents. The league is built on three commitments:

European talent at the center. Homegrown players are at the heart of the AFLE, with roster places and playing time built around European athletes. Young players get a clear path from youth and national programs into professional football in their own region. Through the AFLE Player Development Program, they can also go on to high school and college football and combine their education with the game.

One professional standard, every week. Shared league services cover officiating, broadcast production, data and statistics, medical standards and game operations. Pooled resources lower costs for each club and free up budget for the team and the fans.

Stronger clubs, stronger communities. The league supports Nordic Storm’s coaching, facilities and front-office structures, so the club can focus on what matters locally: its players, its fans, its partners and its community.

Interest in American football keeps growing across Europe. The NFL estimates almost 20 million fans in Germany alone and has played regular-season games in Germany every year since 2022. In 2028, flag football will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles.

Jim Tomsula, CEO of the American Football League Europe, said: “A champion looks for the stage where it can face the best. Nordic Storm’s intention to join the AFLE is not a trophy for us. It is a responsibility. We give every club the same professional standard every week, so the clubs can focus on their players, their fans and their communities. And at the heart of it all are European players. This league is their path to the top, at home in their own region.”

Michael Weidick Planeta, President and Executive Chairman of Nordic Storm, added: “We won a championship, and now we want to help build something bigger: a more unified European football landscape. We believe that joining the AFLE could contribute to that vision, and we hope to take a leading role in it. Our players, our fans and our partners in Denmark and Sweden are excited about the opportunities ahead, and we look forward to working towards a successful 2027 season.”

Joel Nagel, Founder, Owner and Chairman of the Board of the American Football League Europe, said: “It has been a long journey, and we are excited about the opportunities ahead, both for Nordic Storm and for the development of American football in Europe. Nordic Storm stands for ambition, professionalism and a fan base that has grown faster than anyone expected. We look forward to the possibility of welcoming Nordic Storm to the AFLE.”

Nordic Storm’s participation in the AFLE from the 2027 season remains subject to the completion of certain contractual and organizational steps.