Vienna Vikings shine in dominant 2025 season

The Vienna Vikings once again reached the ELF Championship Game. Over 13 games they looked strong and showed a solid performance in the final as well, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. They fell 17-24 to the Stuttgart Surge and missed out on their second title.

A strong season overall

The Vikings’ 11-1 record and the number one seed proved how dominant they were during the 2025 season. Their strength was also recognized with eight Vikings players being named to the All-Star teams, six of them in the First All-Star Team. The squad showed great balance on both sides of the ball. Quarterback and fan favorite Ben Holmes led the offense with big plays, while pass rusher Lucky Ogbevoen made his return from the Canadian Football League and impressed with sacks, tackles for loss, and pass deflections.

Watch the highlights of the 2025 Championship Game here!

Struggles in key areas

Despite their success, the Vikings had issues on special teams. After kicker Dennis Tasic missed time during the season and no real replacement was available, Vienna was often forced to go for two-point conversions after touchdowns, leaving points on the board. They didn’t really face many other big problems during the season, but in the most important game of the year one of Vienna’s best units struggled. In the first half of the Championship Game, the offensive line allowed six sacks on quarterback Ben Holmes, despite having been one of the stronger units all year. Throughout the game they had major difficulties against Stuttgart’s defense, were clearly dominated, and rarely managed to keep the pocket clean for Holmes. It is important to note, however, that this performance was not representative of the unit’s overall season. The offensive line consistently stood out, not only providing strong protection for Holmes but also opening effective rushing lanes.

Looking ahead to 2026

The Vikings don’t need major changes. Instead, they will focus on fixing the small details that slowed them down this year. If they succeed, another strong season in 2026 seems likely. For now, there has been no news on player extensions, retirements, or coaching changes.