View source for 1999 IFAF World Championship

{{Short description|American football tournament}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}
{{More footnotes|date=November 2022}}
}}
{{Infobox international American football tournament
| tourney_name = 1999 IFAF World Championship
| year = 1999
| other_titles = 
| logo = 
| datefrom = 24 June
| dateto = 4 July
| host = Italy
| nations = 6
| champion = Japan
| champion-flagvar = 1947
| runnerup = Mexico
| third = Sweden
| games = 8
| attendance =
| MVP = 
| preceded by = 
| succeeded by = [[2003 IFAF World Championship|2003]]
}}
The '''1999 IFAF World Championship''' was the inaugural [[IFAF World Championship]], an international [[American football]] championship run by the [[International Federation of American Football]] (IFAF). It was played in [[Palermo]], [[Italy]] from 24 June to 4 July 1999.<ref name="afi">{{cite news|url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/first-ever-ifaf-world-cup-of-american-football-featured-in-nfl-films/|title=First ever IFAF World Cup of American Football featured in NFL Films|work=American Football International|first=Roger|last=Kelly|date=24 November 2018|access-date=18 June 2023}}</ref> The tournament was contested by six nations and was won by [[Japan national American football team|Japan]].<ref name=afi/>

==Participants==
*{{Af|MEX}}
*{{Af|JPN|1947}}
*{{Af|SWE}}
*{{Af|AUS}}
*{{Af|FIN}}
*{{Af|ITA}}

==Rosters==
{{Finland 1999 IFAF World Championship roster}}
{{Italy 1999 IFAF World Championship roster}}
{{Mexico 1999 IFAF World Championship roster}}
{{Sweden 1999 IFAF World Championship roster}}

==Group stage==
=== Group A===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!width=175 |Team
!width=20 abbr="Played" |Pld
!width=20 abbr="Won" |W
!width=20 abbr="Lost" |L
!width=20 abbr="Goals for" |PF
!width=20 abbr="Goals against" |PA<br>
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|MEX}}
|2||2||0||143||0
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|ITA}}
|2||1||1||28||61
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|FIN}}
|2||0||2||7||117
|}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=#eee
 |date=June 24
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|ITA}}
 |score=28-7
 |team2={{Af|FIN}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=7 |R2=7 |R3=7 |R4=7
 |H1=0 |H2=7 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=transparent
 |date=June 27
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|MEX}}
 |score=89-0
 |team2={{Af|FIN}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=24 |R2=35 |R3=8 |R4=22
 |H1=0 |H2=0 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=#eee
 |date=June 30
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|MEX}}
 |score=54-0
 |team2={{Af|ITA}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=21 |R2=7 |R3=12 |R4=14
 |H1=0 |H2=0 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}

===Group B===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!width=175 |Team
!width=20 abbr="Played" |Pld
!width=20 abbr="Won" |W
!width=20 abbr="Lost" |L
!width=20 abbr="Goals for" |PF
!width=20 abbr="Goals against" |PA<br>
|-bgcolor=#ccffcc
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|JPN|1947}}
|2||2||0||78||14
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|SWE}}
|2||1||1||36||30
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{Af|AUS}}
|2||0||2||6||76
|}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=#eee
 |date=June 25
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|SWE}}
 |score=22-6
 |team2={{Af|AUS}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=7 |R2=3 |R3=6 |R4=6
 |H1=0 |H2=6 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=transparent
 |date=June 28
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|JPN|1947}}
 |score=28-7
 |team2={{Af|SWE}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=7 |R2=7 |R3=7 |R4=3
 |H1=0 |H2=0 |H3=14 |H4=0
 |report=
}}
{{Americanfootballbox
 |bg=#eee
 |date=July 1
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|JPN|1947}}
 |score=54-0
 |team2={{Af|AUS}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=14 |R2=16 |R3=14 |R4=10
 |H1=0 |H2=0 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}

==Fifth place match==
{{Americanfootballbox
 |date=
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|AUS}}
 |score=10-7
 |team2={{Af|FIN}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=10
 |H1=0 |H2=7 |H3=0 |H4=0
 |report=
}}

==Third place match==
{{Americanfootballbox
 |date=July 3
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|SWE}}
 |score=38-13
 |team2={{Af|ITA}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=10 |R2=13 |R3=3 |R4=12
 |H1=0 |H2=6 |H3=7 |H4=0
 |report=
}}

==Final==
{{Americanfootballbox
 |date=July 4
 |time=
 |team1={{Af|JPN|1947}}
 |score=6-0
 |team2={{Af|MEX}}
 |stadium=
 |attendance=
 |referee=
 |R1=0 |R2=0 |R3=0 |R4=0 |R5=6
 |H1=0 |H2=0 |H3=0 |H4=0 |H5=0
 |report=
}}
Both teams entered the gold medal game undefeated in group play. The Mexico defense had not allowed any points, shutting out their two previous opponents, and the Mexican offense was impressive in beating Finland 89-0 (the most points ever in an IFAF Tournament game) and Italy 54-0. The Championship Game was a defensive struggle, with both teams committing turnovers (5 by Mexico, 2 by Japan), and for the first time in the tournament, Mexico did not score a point in any quarter. Japan held a slight advantage in total yards gained (233 to Mexico's 198). In overtime, Japan scored first on 5 yard pass from Sunaga to Abe. The extra point kick was wide, and Japan led 6-0. As they had all game, the Japanese defense kept Mexico out of the endzone, sealing the victory for Japan.

==Winner==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; margin: 0 auto;"
|-
!1999 IFAF World Cup Winners
|-
|-
|[[File:Flag of Japan (1870–1999).svg|100px|border]]<br/>'''[[Japan national American football team|JAPAN]]'''<br/>'''First Title'''
|}

==Statistics==
{|class = "wikitable"
!Pos
!Team
!Games
!Win
!Lose
!Points for
!Points against
!Difference
|-
|1
|{{Af|JPN|1947}}
|3
|3
|0
|84
|14
| +70
|-
|2
|{{Af|MEX}}
|3
|2
|1
|143
|6
| +137
|-
|3
|{{Af|SWE}}
|3
|2
|1
|74
|43
| +31
|-
|4
|{{Af|ITA}}
|3
|1
|2
|41
|99
| -58
|-
|5
|{{Af|AUS}}
|3
|1
|2
|16
|83
| -67
|-
|6
|{{Af|FIN}}
|3
|0
|3
|14
|127
| -113
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{IFAF World Cup}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ifaf World Cup, 1999}}
[[Category:1999 in American football]]
[[Category:1999 in Italian sport]]
[[Category:IFAF World Championship|1999]]
[[Category:American football in Italy]]
[[Category:International sports competitions hosted by Italy]]
[[Category:June 1999 sports events in Europe]]
[[Category:July 1999 sports events in Europe]]