Opening Games win rates - who is successful, who stumbles?
Florian Puth
© ELF photomontage/Łukasz SkwiotThe opening weekend of the 2025 ELF season is just a few days away. The fans are excited, the teams are prepared, and the big party can begin. Just don't lose and crash the party, right?
A defeat in the first game of the season can really reduce the euphoria. Especially if it is a clear defeat. It's worth taking a look at the statistics. Which teams have won their season-opening games most often?
Note: Since not all teams have been part of the European League of Football since 2021, not every team has played the same number of opening games. Therefore, the sorting is based on the percentage of success. The newly founded franchise Nordic Storm has not yet had an opening game and is therefore missing from the list.
Some fans must be very strong now. Five franchises have not been able to win any of their season-opening games yet.
- Frankfurt Galaxy (2021: L, 2022: L, 2023: L, 2024: L)
- Fehérvár Enthroners (2023: L, 2024: L)
- Prague Lions (2023: L, 2024: L)
- Munich Ravens (2023: L, 2024: L)
- Helvetic Mercenaries (2023: L, 2024: L)
Two other teams are slightly better, but still not in the best position. They were each only able to win a quarter of their season opening games.
- Berlin Thunder (2021: L, 2022: L, 2023: W, 2024: L)
- Cologne Centurions (2021: L, 2022: W, 2023: L, 2024: L)
We have made it past the halfway mark. Of the three games, this franchise only lost one.
- Raiders Tirol (2022: L, 2023: W, 2024: W)
We are getting closer to perfection. Nevertheless, there have been defeats.
- Hamburg Sea Devils (2021: W, 2022: W, 2023: L, 2024: W)
- Stuttgart Surge (2021: W, 2022: L, 2023: W, 2024: W)
Let's move on to the elite. Fans of these five teams can statistically expect a victory in this year's opener.
- Wroclaw Panthers (2021: W, 2022: W, 2023: W, 2024: W)
- Vienna Vikings (2022: W, 2023: W, 2024: W)
- Rhein Fire (2022: W, 2023: W, 2024: W)
- Paris Musketeers (2023: W, 2024: W)
- Madrid Bravos (2024: W)
The days of May 17 and 18, 2025, will show whether they can do it again this year. Because that's when the 2025 season of the European league of football finally begins.