The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games announced Tuesday the addition of six venues across the United States that will host matches for the 2028 men’s and women’s soccer tournaments, with most locations situated outside California.
The newly revealed venues span from coast to coast and include four out-of-state locations: New York City; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; and St. Louis, Missouri. Two additional California cities — San Jose and San Diego — will also host matches, according to KTLA.
“Bringing Olympic Football group stage and knockout matches to stadiums across the United States means more fans will witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand,” said Shana Ferguson, LA28 chief of sport and games delivery officer.
These venues will host group stage and knockout matches, while the Rose Bowl in Pasadena had previously been confirmed as the site for the semifinals and finals of both tournaments. LA28 chief executive Reynold Hoover told International Olympic Committee members that games would be played in “premier existing Major League Soccer stadiums,” ESPN reported.
The 2028 Olympics will make history as the women’s soccer tournament will feature more teams than the men’s competition for the first time, with 16 nations participating in the women’s tournament and 12 in the men’s — reversing the gender balance from the Paris Olympics.
LA28 collaborated with Soccer United Marketing, Major League Soccer’s commercial arm, to evaluate stadiums nationwide and ensure they met top competition standards. The organizing committee is developing a match distribution plan that allows teams to advance from east to west as the tournament progresses, minimizing travel demands.
Match schedules are expected to be released in April, with specific team matchups to be announced later following qualification rounds and the tournament draw. The gold medal matches are scheduled for July 28, 2028, for the men’s tournament and July 29, 2028, for the women’s tournament, according to MLS Soccer.
To support athlete well-being, organizers are considering an extended competition window with preliminary matches potentially beginning before the Opening Ceremony.
Registration for the LA28 Olympic Ticket Draw remains open through March 18, with more information available on LA28’s ticketing page.
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