AFLE REVEALS 2026 SCHEDULE
The American Football League Europe (AFLE) has officially released the schedule for its inaugural campaign, taking another major step toward kickoff in late May.
The 2026 season will feature 51 games played across 16 weeks. Up to four games will take place every weekend, with match-ups scheduled on both Saturdays and Sundays throughout the regular season. Fans, teams and partners now have a clear overview of the upcoming campaign, with COO and managing director Moritz Heisler emphasising the importance of the schedule release for the league and its stakeholders.
“We are aware that many fans, partners, and media members have been waiting for the schedule announcement, and we appreciate everyone’s patience during this process,” Heisler said. “Our focus was on making sure that all structural and operational details were fully aligned before releasing the calendar. Now that the schedule is published, we are excited that preparations can truly move into the next phase. The countdown to kickoff has officially started, and we are looking forward to bringing high-level football to fans across Europe this summer.”
The AFLE season will begin on the weekend of May 23rd and 24th, featuring two match-ups to open the league’s first season. While Saturday’s first-ever AFLE game will pit 2025 ELF runners-up Vienna Vikings against Berlin Thunder, the following day will, perhaps surprisingly, see the brand new London team — as yet unbranded following its official confirmation earlier this week — thrown into the fray against Wroclaw Panthers.
The second week of the season will feature four games across Saturday and Sunday, with things getting no easier for London as they face double European champions Rhein Fire, while expansion teams Firenze Red Lions and Paris Lights face off in France. Twenty-four hours later, Vienna return to the field in Poland against Wroclaw, while there will be Thunder in the mountains as Berlin travel to newcomer Alpine Rams.
As expected, the eight teams will be divided into two conferences, creating the competitive framework for the regular season and ‘ensuring regional balance while also creating exciting match-ups’.
The North/West Conference brings together the new London Football Team, Paris Lights, Rhein Fire and Alpine Rams, while the opposite South/East Conference comprises Berlin Thunder, Wroclaw Panthers, Vienna Vikings and Firenze Red Lions.
Teams will face their conference opponents twice during the regular season, once at home and once away. In addition, each team will play six interconference games, facing every team from the opposite conference at least once.
At the end of the regular season, the top two teams from each conference will advance to the playoffs. The conference winners will earn the number one seeds and host the semifinal games.
Kickoff times and final game locations will be announced shortly.