Brady’s Flag Football Event Relocated from Saudi Arabia to Los Angeles

Tom Brady and Fanatics have relocated their flag football competition from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Los Angeles due to Middle East tensions. The event will still take place March 21 at BMO Stadium, featuring NFL stars and Team USA's world champion flag football squad.

A flag football competition spearheaded by Tom Brady and Fanatics has been relocated from the Middle East to California due to regional conflicts, organizers announced Monday.

The sporting event will proceed as scheduled on March 21, but will now take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles instead of its originally planned venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Los Angeles stadium will serve as the host site for Olympic flag football during the 2028 Games.

The competition format will feature three squads of 12 players each. Team USA’s current world championship flag football roster will compete alongside two additional teams made up of current and former NFL players plus other athletes.

Brady will lead one squad alongside Jalen Hurts, with Sean Payton serving as head coach. A second team will be captained by Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels under Kyle Shanahan’s coaching. Robert Saleh will work with both teams as a defensive coordinator.

The third squad will be led by captains Aamir Brown and Darrell “Housh” Doucette, with Jorge Cascudo coaching the team.

Fox Sports will continue broadcasting the competition, with comedian Kevin Hart serving as the event’s host.

Brady’s Shadow Lion studio is producing the event. A roster of 24 current and former NFL players and other athletes will be available for Wednesday’s draft, including notable names like Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr., and retired tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“With LA28 on the horizon, events like the Fanatics Flag Football Classic are exactly where Team USA Football belongs,” USA Football CEO and executive director Scott Hallenbeck said in a statement. “We’re ready to showcase world-class Olympic-style 5-on-5 flag football. This event features our world champion flag football athletes on the same field as some of the top current and former pro tackle stars, and I know our players are up for the challenge. We’re grateful to Fanatics Studios for making this possible and for supporting one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.”

The competition was initially set to occur at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, but organizers made the decision to relocate following recent military strikes by the United States and Israel targeting Iran, which have intensified regional instability in the Middle East.