Nordic Storm Reaches the Championship Game and Ends Paris’ Season

Nordic Storm is heading to the 2026 EFA Championship Game. In the second semifinal of the BIG4 Playoff Weekend, the top seed defeated the Paris Musketeers 45–6 and secured the second ticket to the final in Innsbruck. Paris kept the game competitive early and even took a 3–0 lead, but from the second quarter onward Nordic gradually took complete control. For Storm, the victory continues an almost perfect season. After nine wins in ten regular season games, the team from Copenhagen left no doubt about its title ambitions in its first knockout game. In the Championship Game, Nordic will now face the Munich Ravens, the only team that managed to defeat Storm this season.

Paris Starts Strong, Storm Takes Over

The Musketeers opened the game much better than their two previous meetings with Nordic Storm might have suggested. Zach Edwards moved the offense efficiently on the opening possession, using short completions to Hugo Tekedam and Torin Justice to put Paris in field goal range. Dean Faithfull converted from 55 yards to give the Musketeers an early 3–0 lead. Nordic responded quickly. Glen Toonga moved the ball on the ground, Jadrian Clark distributed it through the air, and the Storm quarterback eventually found Jakob Niemann Green for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 7–3.

Paris then received another major opportunity when Jamalcolm Liggins intercepted Clark and returned the ball 23 yards, giving the Musketeers possession deep in Nordic territory. Paris could not turn the turnover into a touchdown, but Faithfull converted another field goal, this time from 35 yards, to cut the deficit to 7–6. Those would prove to be the final points of the Musketeers’ season. From that point on, Nordic began to show why it finished the regular season as the number one seed. The Storm offense combined long, controlled drives with explosive plays, and Paris gradually lost its grip on the game.

Clark first led an 80-yard drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to Roberto Miranda on fourth down. Shortly afterward, Toonga powered into the end zone from seven yards out to extend the lead to 21–6. Just before halftime, Clark delivered another major blow, connecting with Brendan Beaulieu for a 51-yard touchdown to make it 28–6. Beaulieu once again emerged as one of the key figures in the Nordic passing game, repeatedly moving the chains and producing one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. Toonga was equally important, providing balance on the ground and forcing Paris to defend every area of the field.

Clark Spreads the Ball and Storm Pulls Away

The pattern continued after halftime. Nordic first extended the lead with a 34-yard field goal from Alvin Gustafsson before Clark found Morgan Boney from one yard out for another touchdown. Paris continued trying to generate offense, but the Storm defense gave Edwards very little room to work with. In the third quarter, Jumilson Moreira Ferreira intercepted the Paris quarterback, and Nordic needed just one offensive play to capitalize. Clark found Edvin Almeida for a 44-yard touchdown to make it 45–6 and effectively decide the semifinal.

Clark finished the game with five touchdown passes to five different scoring targets. Niemann Green, Miranda, Beaulieu, Boney and Almeida all reached the end zone on passes from the Storm quarterback, once again highlighting the depth and versatility of the Nordic offense. Almeida was another standout performer, contributing not only his 44-yard touchdown but also several other important receptions and valuable yards in the return game.

Paris still created opportunities at times, particularly through Tekedam and Justice, who continued to make important catches. But the Musketeers could not finish drives when it mattered most. Edwards was intercepted by Maceo Beard-Aigret in the second quarter and later by Moreira Ferreira in the third. Even in the fourth quarter, when Paris drove all the way to the Nordic 10-yard line, a fourth-down pass intended for Tekedam fell incomplete. Storm then used a long possession to drain the clock and close out the victory without allowing another serious comeback attempt.

Faithfull was one of the bright spots for Paris, scoring all six Musketeers points with field goals from 55 and 35 yards. Liggins also provided an early defensive highlight with his interception, while Tekedam and Justice remained Paris’ most consistent offensive weapons. In the end, however, Nordic’s ability to create explosive plays, force turnovers and consistently finish drives proved too much.

Nordic Gets Its Rematch with Munich

The 45–6 victory sends Nordic Storm into the EFA Championship Game on August 29 at Tivoli Stadion Tirol, where the Munich Ravens will be waiting. It is the matchup many expected after both teams separated themselves from the rest of the league throughout the regular season. Munich remains the only team to have beaten Nordic, winning the first meeting 37–34.

Now the two strongest teams of the inaugural EFA season will meet one more time, but this time the stakes could not be higher. The winner will become the first champion in European Football Alliance history.

Zach Edwards Announces His Retirement After the Semifinal

For Paris, the defeat did not only mark the end of the season. Immediately after the game, quarterback Zach Edwards surprisingly announced his retirement in an interview with the EFA sideline reporter.

When asked about next season and what he still wanted to improve as a quarterback, Edwards instead made it clear that there would be no next chapter on the field.

“For me, that’s it. I’m retiring. I’ve had a great time in Europe and enjoyed every second of it. Obviously, it’s tough to go out this way. But I wouldn’t want to end my career with any other team. I’m proud to be a Paris Musketeer. But this is the end of my football journey.”

The announcement brings one of the most notable quarterback careers in European football to an end. Edwards had returned to Paris for the 2026 season after taking a year away from playing and led the Musketeers back to the BIG4. During the regular season, he threw for 2,147 yards and 18 touchdowns, once again ranking among the most productive quarterbacks in the league.

The perfect sporting farewell was not meant to be. Instead of a Championship Game appearance, his final game ended with a 45–6 defeat. But his career will not be defined by that result. Edwards leaves behind years of production, mobility, improvisation and a strong connection to the teams he represented. His final words reflected the same bond with Paris that had defined his return.

Scoring Summary

Paris Musketeers
FG Dean Faithfull, 55 yards, 3–0
FG Dean Faithfull, 35 yards, 6–7

Nordic Storm
TD Jakob Niemann Green, 20-yard pass from Jadrian Clark, 7–3
TD Roberto Miranda, 6-yard pass from Jadrian Clark, 14–6
TD Glen Toonga, 7-yard run, 21–6
TD Brendan Beaulieu, 51-yard pass from Jadrian Clark, 28–6
FG Alvin Gustafsson, 34 yards, 31–6
TD Morgan Boney, 1-yard pass from Jadrian Clark, 38–6
TD Edvin Almeida, 44-yard pass from Jadrian Clark, 45–6