View source for World Bowl

{{Short description|Championship of the WLAF/NFL Europe}}
{{for|the 1974 championship game of the World Football League|World Bowl (WFL)}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

The '''World Bowl''' was the annual [[American football]] championship game of the World League of American Football, later called [[NFL Europe]]. The World Bowl was played each year from 1991 to 2007 (except 1993 and 1994).

The first World Bowl was played in 1991 in London.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Reilly |first=Rick |date=June 17, 1991 |title=One to Remember Football was king when London won the first World Bowl, way back in 1991 |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=57929744&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-11-16 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |via=[[EBSCOhost]]}}</ref> With the 1995 relaunch of the World League with the North American teams removed, all subsequent World Bowls were played in Europe between European clubs. The only World Bowl to take place outside Europe was [[World Bowl '92]] in [[Montreal]], Canada.

The World Bowl [[trophy]] was a [[globe]] made of [[glass]] measuring 35.5&nbsp;cm (14&nbsp;inches) in diameter and weighing 18.6&nbsp;kg (41&nbsp;lbs).

==Overview==

When the World League of American Football (WLAF) was founded in 1991, with teams in North America and Europe as well as expansion plans for Asia, the name World Bowl was appropriate. The name was kept after 1995 when the league limited itself exclusively to Europe.

From 1995 to 1997, the World Bowl venue was decided by the standings after five weeks of the 10-week season. In other years, the sites were predetermined before the season. The 2002 World Bowl was hosted in [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]'s hometown of [[Düsseldorf]] as a farewell to the old [[Rheinstadion]]. After the new [[LTU arena|LTU Arena]] (now Merkur Spiel-Arena) was completed, the 2005 World Bowl was hosted there again. It would return in 2006, the first time that the game was played in the same site in consecutive years. As the city's [[Fortuna Düsseldorf]] team spent much of this time in lower tiers of the German soccer pyramid, Düsseldorf was the rare NFL Europe city in which American football held an arguably competitive position.

Nine World Bowls were played on Saturdays and six World Bowls were played on Sundays (1991, 1996–1999, 2000).

==World Bowl (WLAF, NFL Europe, and NFL Europa Championships)==
{| class="wikitable" align=left width="100%"
|-align=center style="background:#efefef;"
!width=10%|Date
!width=9%|
! width="18%" |Winner
! width="6%" |Score
! width="18%" |Runner-Up
! width="14%" |MVP
! width="20%" |Venue
!width=5%|Attendance
!Refs.
|-
|June 9, 1991
|[[World Bowl '91]]
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[London Monarchs]]
| align="center" |21 – 0
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]]
|[[Danny Crossman|Dan Crossman]]<br>[[London Monarchs|Monarchs]], [[Safety (American football position)|Safety]]
|[[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]
|align=right|61,108
|
|-
|June 6, 1992
|[[World Bowl '92]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Sacramento Surge]]
| align="center" |21 – 17
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Orlando Thunder]]
|[[David Archer (quarterback)|David Archer]]<br>[[Sacramento Surge|Surge]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Olympic Stadium]], [[Montreal]], [[Canada]]
|align=right|43,789
|
|-
|1993
|colspan=7 rowspan=2 align=center|''League suspended''
|
|-
|1994
|
|-
|June 17, 1995
|[[World Bowl '95]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
| align="center" |26 – 22
|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Amsterdam Admirals]]
|[[Paul Justin]]<br>[[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Galaxy]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)|Olympisch Stadion]], [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]]
|align=right|23,847
|
|-
|June 23, 1996
|[[World Bowl '96]]
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Scottish Claymores]]
| align="center" |32 – 27
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
|[[Yo Murphy]]<br>[[Scottish Claymores|Claymores]], [[Wide receiver|WR]]
|[[Murrayfield Stadium]], [[Edinburgh]], [[United Kingdom]]
|align=right|38,982
|
|-
|June 22, 1997
|[[World Bowl '97]]
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]]
| align="center" |38 – 24
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]
|[[Jon Kitna]]<br>[[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Dragons]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys|Estadi Olimpic]], [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]
|align=right|31,100
|
|-
|June 14, 1998
|[[World Bowl '98]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]
| align="center" |34 – 10
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
|[[Jim Arellanes]]<br>[[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Fire]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Commerzbank-Arena|Waldstadion]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|47,846
|
|-
|June 27, 1999
|[[World Bowl '99]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
| align="center" |38 – 24
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]]
|[[Andy McCullough]]<br>[[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Galaxy]], [[Wide receiver|WR]]
|[[Rheinstadion]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|39,643
|
|-
|June 25, 2000
|[[World Bowl 2000]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]
| align="center" |13 – 10
|{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Scottish Claymores]]
|[[Aaron Stecker]]<br>[[Scottish Claymores|Claymores]], [[Running back|RB]]
|[[Commerzbank-Arena|Waldstadion]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|35,860
|
|-
|June 30, 2001
|[[World Bowl IX]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Berlin Thunder]]
| align="center" |24 – 17
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]]
|[[Jonathan Quinn]]<br>[[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Thunder]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Amsterdam ArenA]], [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]]
|align=right|32,116
|
|-
|June 22, 2002
|[[World Bowl X]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Berlin Thunder]]
| align="center" |26 – 20
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]
|[[Dane Looker]]<br>[[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Thunder]], [[Wide receiver|WR]]
|[[Rheinstadion]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|53,109
|
|-
|June 14, 2003
|[[World Bowl XI]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
| align="center" |35 – 16
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]]
|[[Jonas Lewis]]<br>[[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Galaxy]], [[Running back|RB]]
|[[Hampden Park]], [[Glasgow]], [[United Kingdom]]
|align=right|28,138
|
|-
|June 12, 2004
|[[World Bowl XII]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Berlin Thunder]]
| align="center" |30 – 24
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
|[[Eric McCoo]]<br>[[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Thunder]], [[Running back|RB]]
|[[Veltins-Arena|Arena AufSchalke]], [[Gelsenkirchen]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|35,413
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weisman |first=Larry |date=June 10, 2004 |title=Quarterbacks give World Bowl an NFL feel |url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=J0E118611543705&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |access-date=2024-11-16 |work=[[USA Today]] |via=[[EBSCOhost]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 14, 2000 |title=American football: Stormin' thunder bowl 'em over |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/328103870 |access-date=2024-11-16 |work=Daily Record |id={{ProQuest|328103870}} }}</ref>
|-
|June 11, 2005
|[[World Bowl XIII]]
|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Amsterdam Admirals]]
| align="center" |27 – 21
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Berlin Thunder]]
|[[Kurt Kittner]]<br>[[Amsterdam Admirals|Admirals]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[LTU arena]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|35,134
|
|-
|May 27, 2006
|[[World Bowl XIV]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
| align="center" |22 – 7
|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Amsterdam Admirals]]
|[https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/w/wall01300.html Butchie Wallace]<br>[[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Galaxy]], [[Running back|RB]]
|[[LTU arena]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|36,286
|
|-
|June 23, 2007
|[[World Bowl XV]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Hamburg Sea Devils (NFL Europe)|Hamburg Sea Devils]]
| align="center" |37 – 28
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]]
|[[Casey Bramlet]]<br>[[Hamburg Sea Devils (NFL Europe)|Sea Devils]], [[Quarterback|QB]]
|[[Commerzbank-Arena]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]]
|align=right|48,125
|
|}
* '''Note:''' [[Roman Numerals|Roman numerals]] were not officially used by NFL Europe until World Bowl IX. Before 2001, the games were titled with the current year, such as [[World Bowl 2000]].

===Team records===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team!! Won !! Played!! Winning years!! Runner-up years
|-
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe)|Frankfurt Galaxy]] ||align="center"|4 ||align="center"|8|| [[World Bowl '95|1995]], [[World Bowl '99|1999]], [[World Bowl XI|2003]], [[World Bowl XIV|2006]]|| 1996, 1998, 2004, 2007
|-
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)|Berlin Thunder]] ||align="center"|3 ||align="center"|4|| [[World Bowl IX|2001]], [[World Bowl X|2002]], [[World Bowl XII|2004]]|| 2005
|-
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]] ||align="center"|2 ||align="center"|5|| [[World Bowl '98|1998]], [[World Bowl 2000|2000]]|| 1997, 2002, 2003
|-
| {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|4|| [[World Bowl '97|1997]]|| 1991, 1999, 2001
|-
| {{flagicon|NED}} [[Amsterdam Admirals]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|3|| [[World Bowl XIII|2005]]|| 1995, 2006
|-
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Scottish Claymores]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|2|| [[World Bowl '96|1996]]|| 2000
|-
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Hamburg Sea Devils (NFL Europe)|Hamburg Sea Devils]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|1|| [[World Bowl XV|2007]]||
|-
| {{flagicon|GBR}} [[London Monarchs]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|1|| [[World Bowl '91|1991]]||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sacramento Surge]] ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|1|| [[World Bowl '92|1992]]||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Orlando Thunder]] ||align="center"|0||align="center"|1|| ||1992
|-
| {{flagicon|GER}} [[Cologne Centurions (NFL Europe)|Cologne Centurions]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Birmingham Fire]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Antonio Riders]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Montreal Machine]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York/New Jersey Knights]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks]] ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0|| ||
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ohio Glory]] ||align="center"|0||align="center"|0 || ||
|}

===Results by country===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team!! Won !! Played
|-
| {{flag|Germany}} ||align="center"|10 ||align="center"|18
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} ||align="center"|2 ||align="center"|3
|-
| {{flag|Spain}} ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|4
|-
| {{flag|Netherlands}} ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|3
|-
| {{flag|United States}} ||align="center"|1 ||align="center"|2
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} ||align="center"|0 ||align="center"|0
|}

===Hosting cities===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! City!! {{Abbr|No.|Number}} hosted !! Years hosted
|-
| Düsseldorf ||4 || 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006
|-
| Frankfurt ||3|| 1998, 2000, 2007
|-
| Amsterdam ||2 || 1995, 2001
|-
| London ||1||1991
|-
| Montreal ||1||1992
|-
| Edinburgh ||1 || 1996
|-
| Barcelona ||1 || 1997
|-
| Glasgow ||1 ||2003
|-
| Gelsenkirchen ||1||2004
|}

While the Olympic stadiums in Montreal, Amsterdam and Barcelona hosted World Bowls, the league never selected Berlin as a host town, though the city's Thunder played in the [[Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]] from 2003 to 2007.

==Other uses of "World Bowl"==
The former [[World Football League]], a short-lived 1970s competitor to the [[National Football League|NFL]], was the first to name its championship game the World Bowl. In [[World Bowl (WFL)|World Bowl I]], the only WFL World Bowl contested, the [[Birmingham Americans]] defeated the [[Florida Blazers]] 22–21 on December 5, 1974, at [[Legion Field]] in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. The game had been scheduled to be played at the [[Gator Bowl Stadium]] in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], but after the [[Jacksonville Sharks (WFL)|Jacksonville Sharks]] folded mid-season, the league decided that the team with the better record would host the game.

The proposed [[World Indoor Football League (1988)|World Indoor Football League]] that was to begin play in 1988 also intended on calling its championship the World Bowl. It would have been played on August 29, 1988. However, the WIFL disbanded 11 days before its season was to begin.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{WorldBowl}}
{{World Bowl champions}}
{{NFLE}}

[[Category:World Bowl| ]]