European Football Alliance


The European Football Alliance
is a professional American football league based in Europe. It plays its first seasons in 2026. Teams are located in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The clubs previously competed in the European League of Football.

History

In November 2020, the European League of Football was founded as a professional American Football league on European level. Its first season kicked off in June 2021 with eight teams and had expanded to 16 by 2025. The league is headed by CEO Željko Karajica; ownership is attributed to SEH Sports & Entertainment Holding and Patrick Esum, who also served as Commissioner. Individual teams are operated as franchises by independent companies.
In early 2024, several ELF clubs formed the ELF Franchise Association; after the 2024 season this group went public as the Football Franchise Association. In September 2025, EFA statements criticized the ELF's governance and transparency and said clubs would build a new league model for 2026. Reports in 2025 also described failed talks about an Amsterdam franchise; some coverage linked the collapse to disagreements over terms and revenue issues.
On October 6, 2025, multiple EFA clubs and outlets said at least 10 teams would compete under the EFA banner in 2026; coverage the same day noted Raiders Tirol were not among those confirmed competitors for 2026. On November 7, 2025, the EFA added London and Milan as franchise markets; brand identities to be revealed later. Both teams will start to play in the 2027 season.
On November 26, 2025, the ELF and EFA announced that the two competitions would be reunifying with a number of administrative and commercial changes ahead of the 2026 season. However, on January 15, 2026, the EFA terminated the agreement, as the conditions required for a sustainable partnership could not be met.

Teams

The following teams are member of the European Football Alliance:
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Frankfurt Galaxy