The global ambassador of NFL Flag in Brazil, Gabriela Bankhardtspoke with CNN Brazil on the eve of Super Bowl LX about the growth of sport in the country and the expectation of the participation of Brazilian women’s flag team at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
For Gabi, who is a player for the Santa Catarina team Desterro Atlantis, it is an honor to be the face of sport in Brazil as a woman. “It’s a big responsibility. We started thinking about the impact we generate on younger audiences: what you say, speak, consume. All of this was very new, but it was a lot of fun too,” he said.
She explained that the sport is extremely feminine, including the vast majority of global ambassadors being women. For example, The Brazilian women’s team was created in 2012, while the men’s team was created only in 2021.
We have been on this trajectory for some time, seeking visibility. With the arrival of the NFL to Brazil, it is very clear how much Brazilians enjoy the sport. It’s a privilege to be part of this moment, I know athletes who started in 2012 who would give anything to be part of this flag boom.
Em 2026, Brazil will host the third game in the countrythis time in Rio de Janeiro, after two consecutive matches in São Paulo, in 2024 and 2025.
About the 2028 Olympics, the athlete states that it is a challenge, as there are few places. But several changes are being made so that Brazil can reach the biggest sports championship in the world.
“It won’t be easy at all, but the team made very big changes, hired a Mexican coach and a coach who is a former NFL player… we have a very large coaching staff.”
Finally, Gabi states that, for now, the priority is the World Championships this year in Dusseldorf, Germany – a big step towards a place in the Olympics. “Our goal now is the 2026 World Cup, but the difficulty is great, there are 16 of the best teams in the world competing and we are on that path.”
Super Bowl LX
After 11 years, New England meet again in the NFL grand final. The two teams, champions of the respective American (AFC) and National (NFC) conferences, will compete in Super Bowl LX on February 8, at 8:30 pm (Brasília time).
The match will be held at Levi’s Stadium, em Santa ClaraCalifornia, San Francisco 49ers stadium.
This will be the second meeting between the two teams in the Super Bowl, after competing in the XLIX edition, when the Patriots won 28-24 after Russell Wilson’s controversial pass at the one-yard linewhich resulted in Malcolm Butler’s interception and sealed the victory for the New England team.
This year, the Patriots secured their place in beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC decisionand return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019.
The Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC finalat Lumen Field, and won the National conference title, guaranteeing their presence in the decision.
In the regular season, the teams had an outstanding campaign with the same numbers: 14 wins and only three defeats.
