European League of Football, teams reunite

"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."

"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 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."

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

European League of Football and the European Football Alliance reached a strategic cooperation agreement to reunite and play next season. The EFA formed in July and had announced teams would not participate in the ELF while seeking structural reform, economic fairness and transparency. The ELF began in Germany in 2021; sixteen teams played last season and the Stuttgart Surge won the championship, though more than half later switched to the EFA. Under the new structure, teams and shareholders will jointly oversee operations via a board of governors handling planning, budgeting, competition format, media rights, expansion and standardized transparency and auditing. ELF will announce 2026 participants soon, and roster rules limit squads to 10 foreign players, including four Americans.

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