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Week 6 Power Rankings - D1 Élite
As always, a reminder before we get into it: this is subjective. These rankings are based on results, game flow, momentum, level of opposition, and the overall impression each team left this weekend. They are not the standings, and they are not meant to be taken personally. The goal is simple: place teams where they feel right now, after comparing what we thought we knew at the halfway point with what Week 6 confirmed, corrected, or reshaped. And this week gave us clarity.
A
Apr 10


The New Landscape of British American Football
British American Football is entering a transformative era. With one professional franchise slated for 2026 and another for 2027, the UK is seeing a level of ambition not witnessed since the late 1990s. However, this growth is contrasted by a massive void: the London Warriors, multi-time national champions and the titans of the domestic game, will not compete this year.
Their absence reshapes the Premiership. Every team now sees a path to the throne, though the lack of a "W
Apr 10


PFL Power Rankings – Week 2
1. Warsaw Eagles (2–0)
Last game: W 24–7 Lowlanders
The Eagles remain at the top of the rankings after improving to 2–0. They have shown consistency on both sides of the ball and continue to look like the most complete team in the league. Looking ahead, if they maintain this level of defense and efficiency on offense, they should remain the team to beat. The real test will come against other top contenders.
2. Wilki Łódzkie (2–0)
Last game: W vs Dukes 50–20
The Wilki mov
Apr 9


HFL Power Rankings - Week 1
The 2026 season of the Hungarian Football League officially got underway with two games that highlighted both dominance and resilience. While only four teams took the field, the action didn’t disappoint, as the Újpest Bulldogs and the Budapest Wolves opened their campaigns with victories.
It’s also worth noting that this was a shortened opening round, as the Győr Sharks and the Budapest Cowbells did not play this weekend, meaning all eyes were on these two teams.
1. Újpest
Apr 8


THE MOST COMPETITIVE LEAGUE IN EUROPE IS BACK AND WILL BE HOLDING ON TO THAT TITLE
The preseason must have been harsh, because this week ended with a lot of upsets and not a single expected win. The Ducks beat the ex-ELF Enthroners, the Prague Black Panthers won against the Graz Giants and the Danube Dragons defeated their lifelong rivals, the Vienna Vikings.
SALZBURG DUCKS VS. FEHERVAR ENTHRONERS (16:3)
I can only imagine what the Ducks had to go through in the preseason to get such an amazing win in the first week. The most disappointing team in the lea
Apr 7


BACK TO SCHOOL - IFL 2026 MIDTERM GRADES
With the Easter holidays already upon us, the IFL is taking a general Bye Week before resuming full steam ahead until the end of May with the Regular Season.
In this special edition of the Power Ranking, in addition to the usual commentary on the league games—only one this weekend—there's also a rating for the teams based on their performances this season.
1. Guelfi Firenze (A)
There's no getting around it. Guelfi Firenze's season start, undefeated in 14 consecutive game
Apr 2
OTHER NEWS


UNION JACK CLASSIC
Wembley Stadium has staged just about everything football has to offer. On Saturday, it added another chapter to its history: College Football. Kansas and Arizona State crossed the Atlantic for a Week 3 matchup that brought the sights, sounds and spectacle of a fall Saturday in America to the heart of London.
LONDON BECOMES THE CENTER OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
For one Saturday in September, London became the center of the College Football world.
The British capital is hardly a
4 days ago


The Pioneers: NFL Europe and the League That Dared to Cross an Ocean
Long before the NFL played regular season games in London, Munich, or Madrid, it tried something far bolder: building entire professional franchises on European soil.
In July 1989, NFL owners approved the creation of the World League of American Football, a genuinely transatlantic experiment and the first time the league had ever tried to plant a professional, developmental version of itself outside North America. When the WLAF kicked off on March 23, 1991, ten teams took th
5 days ago


Italian Football League News You Can Use #1
With the conclusion of the tackle football seasons in Italy, "News You Can Use" - the most beloved and imitated column - returns to First Down Mag, bringing you all the latest updates on Italian football.
From the first to the third division, and from North to South, here is everything you need to know about roster moves and the latest news from the world of Italian gridiron.
Here is the first batch of news from the Italian football scene. Enjoy the read.
Cameren Grodhaus
6 days ago


İTÜ HORNETS — INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH AHMET ÖZMEN
We've now won four championships in the university league, and in that arena we've long been a college team playing football at the very top level. In past years, though, as a club we struggled to carry that success over to the pro league. Even though the 2022 pro semifinal was a huge blow for us, I'd say it was the game that fueled our ambition and made us more determined than any other. But reducing the four championships won over the last two years — across both the pro an
Sep 15


2026 GFL Power Rankings — Week 18 Update
Biggest Takeaway
As the GFL season moves toward the postseason, the league has started to separate into clear tiers. At the top, three teams have consistently looked like the strongest championship threats.
Dresden Monarchs/Potsdam Royals/Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns
The Dresden Monarchs, Potsdam Royals, and Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns have separated themselves from the rest of the GFL.
These are clearly the three strongest teams in the league and the teams best positioned to ma
Sep 11


BELICHICK’S TAR HEELS WIN THE AER LINGUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLASSIC
DUBLIN DRESSES UP FOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL AGAIN
Throughout the week, Dublin’s streets were dressed in TCU purple and unmistakable Carolina Blue, and long before kickoff it felt as though the Horned Frogs held a slight advantage in the stands.
Close to 10,000 fans had travelled from Texas, filling the pubs of Temple Bar and much of the city centre with TCU colours. In total, more than 14,000 supporters made the trip from the United States for this year’s Classic. Fewer than in
Sep 4


FLORIAN BIERBAUMER INTERVIEW - “Seikovits and I played rock-paper-scissors to decide…”
“Seikovits and I played rock-paper-scissors to decide…”
Florian Bierbaumer is one of the star players of the Vienna Vikings. The Graz native, who carries the nickname “Cheat Code”, recently had to take an enforced break due to an ankle injury but used the time to try out new things alongside his recovery.
The former NFL hopeful looked back on his AFLE season so far exclusively with First Down Magazine, spoke about his experience as a co-commentator, his collaboration with f
Aug 13


IFL Teams Get Their Grades!
With the IFL having wrapped up its 2026 season about a month ago — featuring the Guelfi Firenze victory over the Panthers Parma in Ferrara—the final bell has rung, and it is time to grade the teams in the top league.
This article reviews the season for the nine teams competing in the First Division of Italian Football.
Which teams made the grade, which ones have work to do before the new term, and which ones failed?
Guelfi Firenze: A
The Italian Football League’s model te
Aug 6


SUPERSERIEN TAKEAWAYS 2026
Tyresö gets it’s championship
After a lot of years of being the dark horse to win the prestigious SM-Guld, the Tyresö Royal Crowns can finally call themselves Champions of Sweden upsetting #1 seed Carlstad and #3 seed Stockholm in the semis and final respectively.
This team had arguably no weakness and only finished in the #4 seed by having a game overturned and losing to both SMM and Calrstad with only one score each during the regular season.
While the semi against the C
Jul 16
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