By ALEX RASKIN, US SPORTS NEWS EDITOR
Published: 16:30 EST, 4 March 2026 | Updated: 16:34 EST, 4 March 2026
Tom Brady’s flag football game scheduled for Saudi Arabia later this month is almost certainly relocating amid ongoing military conflicts in the region, a source with knowledge of the situation has confirmed to the Daily Mail.
Brady and a number of current and former NFL players were supposed to play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21 in Riyadh. That game was put into doubt over the weekend when the United States and Israel launched joint attacks against Iran, which countered with drone and missile strikes in the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries.
Since then, air travel in the region has come to a near halt.
The game is likely headed to the United States, Front Office Sports has reported.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Fanatics for more information.
The event is being produced by Shadow Lion, Brady’s production studio, and was set to include Jayden Daniels, Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr. and Brady’s former teammate, Rob Gronkowski.
Tom Brady ¿s flag football game scheduled for Saudi Arabia later this month is on the move amid ongoing military conflicts in the region, a source has confirmed to the Daily Mail
A long-time push by the NFL for a safer, all-inclusive alternative to gridiron football, modern flag football is a five-on-five game played on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones
Three teams will compete in the round-robin tournament. They will be coached by Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll, current Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton and the San Francisco 49ers' Kyle Shanahan.
Meanwhile, a similar form of flag football is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
A long-time push by the NFL for a safer, all-inclusive alternative to gridiron football, modern flag football is played on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones. It’s five players per side and the halves are 20 minutes long.
Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, a co-founder of Zuffa Boxing and the force behind the country’s efforts to import major sports properties, previously said he hopes to bring an NFL game to the Arab state in the near future.
College football’s Holiday Bowl is one sports property considering a similar move, according to Front Office Sports. Traditionally played in San Diego between ACC and Pac-12 schools, Holiday Bowl officials have considered moving the game to Saudi Arabia, FSO reported.
Meanwhile, school officials at North Carolina and Colorado have both visited Saudi Arabia in hopes of getting NIL funding with which to recruit players.
Tom BradySaudi Arabia