Barnwell presents the 'Domestic Cup of American Fo...
Key takeaways
- Naturally, of course, it would be a dream to see this for (our American brand of) football as well.
- Instead of an international competition, what if we turned this into a domestic battle divided by region?
- So, inspired by the World Cup, I've gone through active NFL rosters and split the country into eight teams.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
With so many of the world's biggest stars showing up and scoring in bunches, all three host countries advancing to the knockout stages and more goals per game in the group stage than in any tournament since 1970, the planet's biggest sporting event has delivered in spades so far.
Naturally, of course, it would be a dream to see this for (our American brand of) football as well. There has been a World Cup of American Football in the past, but with so many players coming from the United States, it has generally been a one-sided affair. U.S. teams have lost games in international competition, and we'll see how flag football plays out in the 2028 Olympics, but a best-on-best international tournament involving the top players on the planet wouldn't be a fair fight.
Of course, there's another way to frame things. Instead of an international competition, what if we turned this into a domestic battle divided by region? Australia has the State of Origin competition in rugby, in which players suit up for the area where they started their careers in what amounts to an all-star competition. State of Origin is a two-team competition, but across America, we could expand things quite a bit.