BIG4 in Frankfurt: Four Teams Battle for Two Tickets to Innsbruck

The inaugural season of the European Football Alliance is entering its decisive stage. After ten regular season games per team, the top four teams have been determined. Now, everything is on the line. At the first EFA BIG4 Playoff Weekend in Frankfurt, the two participants for the 2026 Championship Game will be decided. Two games, four teams and only two tickets to the grand final on August 29 at Tivoli Stadion Tirol.

The action begins on Saturday with the all German matchup between Frankfurt Galaxy and the Munich Ravens. On Sunday, top seeded Nordic Storm will then face the Paris Musketeers. Both semifinals will be played at PSD Bank Arena in Frankfurt. For all four teams, the equation is equally simple: A win means Innsbruck. A loss means the end of the season.

Frankfurt Galaxy vs. Munich Ravens: German Derby for the First Ticket to the Final

Saturday, August 15, 6:00 PM CEST

The first semifinal brings together two franchises that know each other very well. Frankfurt Galaxy hosts the Munich Ravens and, as the only one of the four playoff teams, gets to play in front of its home crowd. From a sporting perspective, however, Munich enters the German Derby as the favorite.

The Ravens played an outstanding regular season and won their first nine games. Only last weekend did they suffer their first defeat, losing 7:55 to Nordic Storm. That result, however, needs to be put into context. Head Coach Kendral Ellison rested numerous key players and gave many second string players valuable playing time. Among others, quarterback Russell Tabor, wide receiver Louis Geyer, running back Justus Seelig and several defensive key players did not take the field. For the semifinal, the focus now shifts completely back to sporting success.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, enters the BIG4 with an important confidence boosting victory. After three consecutive losses, Galaxy won its decisive road game against the Prague Lions 37:34 and secured third place in the standings. Particularly important was the development of quarterback Zach Calzada. In his second EFA game, he led the offense with three touchdown passes and no turnovers. Ahsan Moore also provided a dream start with a 100 yard kickoff return touchdown, while Ryan Rimmler set a new EFA record with a 62 yard field goal.

Now, however, a significantly greater challenge awaits. Munich won both regular season meetings and features one of the league’s most versatile offensive systems with Tabor and a deep backfield led by Justus Seelig, Benedikt Pohler and Justin Rodney. The Ravens’ rushing attack in particular could become the decisive factor for Frankfurt.

Galaxy does have one advantage that no other team has this weekend. Frankfurt is playing at home. PSD Bank Arena is expected to become the Purple Hell, and Galaxy hopes to draw additional energy from its home field advantage. After an up and down regular season, the team from Hesse now has the opportunity to reach the Championship Game by defeating one of the strongest teams of the inaugural season in front of its own fans.

For Munich, meanwhile, the goal is to complete an almost perfect regular season with a deep playoff run. Nine victories in the first nine games showed just how much potential this team possesses. On Saturday evening, however, those results will no longer matter. The third German Derby of the season will decide which team becomes the first to book its ticket to Innsbruck.

Nordic Storm vs. Paris Musketeers: Can Paris Challenge the Favorite for a Third Time?

Sunday, August 16, 3:00 PM CEST

The second semifinal follows on Sunday, and on paper the roles could hardly be clearer. Nordic Storm enters the BIG4 as the number one team from the regular season and faces the fourth placed Paris Musketeers.

Nordic finished the regular season with a 9:1 record and secured the top seed with its dominant victory over Munich on the final game day. Storm’s only defeat came against the Ravens, when the first meeting between the two teams ended in a narrow 34:37 loss. Apart from that, the team from Copenhagen presented itself as one of the most complete teams in the league throughout the regular season.

Quarterback Jadrian Clark leads an offense capable of attacking almost any defense in a variety of ways. Just last weekend, Clark threw for 437 yards against Munich and was involved in seven touchdowns. In Brendan Beaulieu, he has one of the most dangerous receivers in the EFA, while Glen Toonga finished the regular season as the league’s leading rusher and forces defenses to protect the entire field. Nordic also brings plenty of quality on the other side of the ball. Wilfried Pene was named Week 13 MVP after recording ten tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Munich.

Paris knows exactly how difficult this challenge will be. Both previous meetings this season ended in convincing Nordic victories. Storm first won 48:16 in Copenhagen and then 41:3 in Paris. In the second meeting, the Musketeers offense was held to just 174 total yards and quarterback Zach Edwards was sacked eight times.

But Paris travels to Frankfurt with renewed confidence. After five consecutive losses, the Musketeers essentially faced a playoff game of their own against the Raiders Tirol on the final day of the regular season. Under maximum pressure, Head Coach Jack Del Rio’s team delivered and won 33:12 at Tivoli Stadion. Edwards threw four touchdown passes, Torin Justice caught two of them and the defense produced turnovers in crucial situations. What had been a difficult second half of the season ultimately still resulted in a playoff berth.

Now Paris must prove that the previous two meetings with Nordic no longer matter in a knockout game. With Jason Bofunda in the backfield as well as Hugo Tekedam and the increasingly dangerous Justice in the receiving corps, the offense has enough playmakers. Defensively, sack leader Demarco Artis and tackling leader Ilan Barbaras will be particularly important. Paris needs to put Clark under pressure while simultaneously preventing Toonga from controlling the game on the ground.

Nordic is the favorite. After nine victories and two convincing wins over Paris, there is little doubt about that. But on Sunday, the game starts again at 0:0. For the Musketeers, one victory could transform a complicated regular season into a trip to the Championship Game.

A Weekend for the Entire EFA

The BIG4 is designed to be more than just two football games. From August 14 to 16, Frankfurt becomes the meeting point of the EFA community. All six franchises will be represented, with an extensive program awaiting fans around the two semifinals.

The weekend begins on Friday. Bayreuther Brauhaus becomes the official EFA Fan Bar and offers a program featuring guests, activations, contests and prizes from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Admission is free.

On Saturday, tailgating at PSD Bank Arena begins at 3:00 PM before Frankfurt Galaxy and the Munich Ravens battle for the first ticket to the final at 6:00 PM. After the game, the BIG4 continues with a postgame fan event in downtown Frankfurt.

On Sunday, tailgating begins at 12:00 PM. Three hours later, Nordic Storm and the Paris Musketeers kick off the second semifinal. By early Sunday evening at the latest, it will be clear which two teams will leave Frankfurt as winners and extend their seasons by another two weeks.

Four teams remain. Two will travel to Innsbruck. On August 29, the first Championship Game in European Football Alliance history awaits at Tivoli Stadion Tirol. This weekend will decide who gets there.