European league of American football and breakaway teams reach deal to reunite

MADRID (AP) — An American football league in Europe and the teams that recently broke away from it demanding structural reforms have reached a deal to reunite and play next season.

The European League of Football and the European Football Alliance said Wednesday they reached a “strategic cooperation agreement.”

“This agreement creates a transparent, team-led governance model designed to reinforce stability, consistency, and long-term growth throughout the sport,” they said in a joint statement.

The EFA, created in July, had announced in September its teams would not participate in the ELF as they sought structural reform, economic fairness and transparency to promote a more sustainable development of the sport.

The ELF launched in Germany in 2021 with eight teams. Sixteen teams played last season with the Stuttgart Surge beating the Vienna Vikings 24-17 in the championship game in September, but more than half eventually switched to the EFA.

The ELF said it will announce the participants for the 2026 season in the coming weeks, and discussions about the competition format and scheduling were underway.

Under the new structure, teams and shareholders will jointly oversee league operations through a board of governors responsible for league-wide planning and budgeting, competition format and licensing, media rights and commercial strategy, expansion across European markets and standardized transparency, reporting, and independent auditing.

“This shared leadership model aligns incentives across markets and prioritizes competitive integrity, financial reliability, and product quality for all stakeholders,” the statement said.

The EFA earlier this month also announced deals with franchises in London and Milan.

Unlike the NFL Europe’s model in the late 1990s and 2000s, the ELF is focused on homegrown talent, with only 10 foreign players allowed on each squad, including only four Americans.

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