NFL EUROPA
NFL EUROPA (1995-2007) began as the World League of American Football (1991-1992) had folded. It consisted of three returning franchises—the Barcelona Dragons, Frankfurt Galaxy, and London Monarchs—and three new teams: the Amsterdam Admirals, Rhein Fire, and Scottish Claymores, with the Claymores playing home games in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.
In 1998, the league was rebranded as the NFL Europe League. That same year, the England Monarchs folded and were replaced by the Berlin Thunder. Further franchise changes followed: the Barcelona Dragons were replaced by the Cologne Centurions in 2004, and the Scottish Claymores were replaced by the Hamburg Sea Devils in 2005.
The league was rebranded again as NFL Europa in 2006. In 2007, the NFL closed the league, citing annual losses of around $30 million.
British Football League (BFL) was introduced in 2015 by Alex Thomas, administrator of AMT GRIDIRON, and added former and revised teams previously used by this league.
NFL Europa Champions
Most Successful Team
Frankfurt Galaxy
4 titles
World League of American Football (1991-1992)
The WLAF was the NFL’s first attempt at a spring developmental league, featuring teams in North America and Europe. Although the league lasted only two seasons, it established the groundwork for a permanent European presence. The London Monarchs won the inaugural World Bowl in 1991, while the Sacramento Surge claimed the 1992 title before the league was placed on hiatus. The WLAF’s European teams would later form the core of the relaunched NFL Europe in 1995.
Visit the WLAF page.
NFL Europe / NFL Europa (1995–2007)
NFL Europe relaunched in 1995 with six teams, eventually shifting entirely to a German‑based league by the mid‑2000s. The Frankfurt Galaxy became the league’s most successful franchise with four World Bowl titles. The Hamburg Sea Devils won the final championship in 2007.
NFL Europe Teams (1995–2006)
TEAMS |
SEASONS | WB | STADIUM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS |
1995-2007 | 1 |
 AMESTERDAM ARENA (AMSTERDAM, NL) (1997-2007) |
  |
BARCELONA/F.C.BARCELONA DRAGONS |
1995-2003 | 1 |  MINI ESTADI (BARCELONA,ES) (2002-2003) |
  |
BERLIN THUNDER |
1999-2007 | 3 |
 OLYMPIC STADIUM (BERLIN, DE) (2003-2007) |
  |
COLOGNE CENTURIONS |
2004-2007 | 0 |  RHEINENERGIESTADION (COLOGNE, DE) (2004-2007) |
 |
FRANKFURT GALAXY |
1995-2007 | 4 |
 COMMERZBANK-ARENA (FRANKFURT, DE) (1995-2007) |
  |
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS(1) |
2005-2007 | 1 |
 AOL ARENA (HAMBURG, DE) (2005-2007) |
  |
LONDON/ENGLAND MONARCHS |
1995-1998 | 1 |  CRYSTAL PALACE STADIUM (LONDON) (1998) |
  |
RHEIN FIRE(2) |
1995-2007 | 2 |
 LTU ARENA (DUSSELDORF, DE) (2005-2007) |
  |
SCOTTISH CLAYMORES |
1995-2004 | 1 |  HAMPDEN PARK (GLASGOW,UK) (2000-2004) |
MURRAYFIELD (EDINBURGH,UK) (1995-2000) |
||||
WB World Bowl Title
2007 NFL EUROPA SEASON TEAMS
These are the teams for the 2007 season, the league's final season.
| TEAMS | SEASONS | WB | STADIUM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS |
1995-2007 | 1 |
AMESTERDAM ARENA (AMSTERDAM, NL) (1997-2007) |
|
BERLIN THUNDER |
1999-2007 | 3 |
OLYMPIC STADIUM (BERLIN, DE) (2003-2007) |
|
COLOGNE CENTURIONS |
2004-2007 | 0 | RHEINENERGIESTADION (COLOGNE, DE) (2004-2007) |
|
FRANKFURT GALAXY |
1995-2007 | 4 |
COMMERZBANK-ARENA (FRANKFURT, DE) (1995-2007) |
|
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS(1) |
2005-2007 | 1 |
AOL ARENA (HAMBURG, DE) (2005-2007) |
|
RHEIN FIRE(2) |
1995-2007 | 2 |
LTU ARENA (DUSSELDORF, DE) (2005-2007) |
History
| Season | Team | Change | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Amsterdam Admirals Barcelona Dragons Frankfurt Galaxy London Monarchs Rhein Fire Scottish Claymores |
The WLAF returns as a European-only single division. | |
| 1998 | WLAF | Retired | The league is rebranded as NFL Europe. |
| 1998 | England Monarchs | Name Change | London Monarchs change name to England Monarchs. |
| 1999 | Berlin Thunder | Expansion | Berlin Thunder join the league, replacing the England Monarchs, marking the start of German expansion. |
| 2003 | Barcelona Dragons | Folded | London Monarchs change name to England Monarchs. |
| 2004 | Cologne Centurions | Expansion | Cologne Centurions replace the FC Barcelona Dragons. |
| 2005 | Hamburg Sea Devils | Expansion | Hamburg Sea Devils replaced the Scottish Claymores. |
| 2006 | NFL Europe | Retired | The league undergoes its final rebrand, becoming NFL Europa. |
| 2007 | - | - | Hamburg Sea Devils win the final World Bowl. The NFL announces the league’s closure after the season. |
Seasons
The complete history of every NFL Europa season's playoffs, from the league’s early years to the 2007 season. Each year reflects the playoff races across the league.
Visit the NFL Europa Seasons page.
Playoffs
In 1991-1992 (WLAF seasons), the Division Champions plus a Wild Card team (with next best record) qualified for the Playoffs and then from 1995-2007 (final season), the top two teams qualified for the World Bowl.
WLAF SEMI-FINALS
| SEASON | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 |  BARCELONA DRAGONS |
10 VS 3 |  BIRMINGHAM FIRE |
 LONDON MONARCHS |
42 @ 26 |  NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY KNIGHTS |
|
| 1992 |  ORLANDO THUNDER |
45 @ 7 | BIRMINGHAM FIRE |
 |
17 VS 15 | BARCELONA DRAGONS |
World Bowl Results
| SEASON | WINNER | SCORE | LOSER | STADIUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| '91 1991  |
LONDON MONARCHS (1) |
21-0 | BARCELONA DRAGONS |
 Wembley Stadium(1) London,UK(1) |
| '92 1992  |
SACRAMENTO SURGE (1) |
21-17 | ORLANDO THUNDER |
 Olympic Stadium(1) MONTREAL,CA(1) |
| '95 1995  |
FRANKFURT GALAXY (1) |
26-22 | Amsterdam Admirals |
 Olympisch Stadion(1) AMSTERDAM,NL(1) |
| '96 1996  |
SCOTTISH CLAYMORES (1) |
32-27 | Frankfurt Galaxy |
Murrayfield Stadium(1) EDINBURGH(1),UK(1) |
| '97 1997  |
BARCELONA DRAGONS (1) |
38-24 | Rhein Fire |
 Estadi Olimpic(1) BARCELONA,ES(1) |
| '98 1998  |
RHEIN FIRE (1) |
34-10 | Frankfurt Galaxy |
Waldstadion FRANKFURT (1) DE (1) |
| '99 1999  |
FRANKFURT GALAXY (2) |
38-24 | BARCELONA DRAGONS |
Rheinstadion(1) DUSSELDORF(1) DE(2) |
2000 |
RHEIN FIRE (2) |
13-10 | Scottish Claymores |
Waldstadion(2) FRANKFURT (2) DE (3) |
| IX 2001  |
BERLIN THUNDER (1) |
24-17 | BARCELONA DRAGONS |
Amsterdam ArenA(1) AMSTERDAM,NL(2) |
| X 2002  |
BERLIN THUNDER (2) |
26-20 | Rhein Fire |
Rheinstadion(2) DUSSELDORF(2) DE(4) |
| XI 2003  |
FRANKFURT GALAXY (3) |
35-16 | Rhein Fire |
Hampden Park(1) GLASGOW(1),UK(3) |
| XII 2004  GELSENKIRCHEN (1) GERMANY (5) |
BERLIN THUNDER (3) |
30-24 | Frankfurt Galaxy |
 Arena AufSchalke(1) GELSENKIRCHEN(1) DE(5) |
| XIII 2005  |
AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS (1) |
27-21 | Berlin Thunder |
Rheinstadion(5) DUSSELDORF(5) DE(8) |
| XIV 2006  |
FRANKFURT GALAXY (4) |
22-7 | Amsterdam Admirals |
|
| XV 2007  |
HAMBURG SEA DEVILS (1) |
37-28 | Frankfurt Galaxy |
World Bowl Standings
| Team | REC | A | RT | RA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Frankfurt Galaxy | 4-4 | 8 | 2006 | 2007 |
|
Berlin Thunder | 3-1 | 4 | 2004 | 2005 |
|
Rhein Fire | 2-3 | 5 | 2000 | 2003 |
|
Hamburg Sea Devils | 1-0 | 1 | 2007 | 2007 |
|
Amsterdam Admirals | 1-2 | 3 | 2005 | 2006 |
|
Barcelona Dragons | 1-4 | 5 | 1997 | 2001 |
|
Scottish Claymores | 1-1 | 2 | 1996 | 2000 |
|
Sacramento Surge | 1-0 | 1 | 1992 | 1992 |
|
London Monarchs | 1-0 | 1 | 1991 | 1991 |
|
Orlando Thunder | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1992 |