St. Louis to Host Soccer Matches for 2028 Olympics

The city will join Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Athens as the only hosts of multiple Summer Olympic Games.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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St. Louis has been selected as one of six additional venues outside of host city Los Angeles to host soccer matches during the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. This will mark the second time St. Louis has hosted Olympic events, with the city previously hosting a variety of competitions, including soccer and the marathon, at the 1904 Olympics.

Why it matters

The announcement comes as St. Louis is experiencing a growing soccer culture, with the recent creation of the city's own professional team, St. Louis City SC, and nearby Kansas City hosting matches for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosting Olympic soccer matches will further cement St. Louis' status as a hub for the sport.

The details

St. Louis will join New York City, Columbus, Nashville, San Jose, and San Diego as additional host cities for the 2028 Olympics outside of Los Angeles. The 1904 St. Louis Olympics, which took place in part on the campus of Washington University, were the third-ever modern Olympic Games. St. Louis will become one of only six cities to host events in multiple Summer Olympic Games, alongside Los Angeles, Paris, London, Tokyo, and Athens.

  • The 1904 St. Louis Olympics were the third-ever modern Olympic Games.
  • St. Louis City SC was created in 2023.
  • The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games Committee announced St. Louis as a host city in early February 2026.
  • More details on the timing and specifics of the 2028 Olympic soccer matches in St. Louis are expected to be released in April 2026.

The players

Francis Olympic Field

The venue that hosted a variety of events, including soccer and the marathon, at the 1904 Olympics.

Energizer Park

The home stadium of St. Louis City SC, which will host soccer matches for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Zachary Bowersox

A political science professor who has conducted research on the Olympics and teaches a course on "Sports, Policy, and Politics."

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What they’re saying

“The last thing you want is people bringing up … the segregation of the audience or anthropology days. Yes, we're going to celebrate [Francis] Field. Talk about that history. [But] how much of the Olympic experience of 1904 do we celebrate?”

— Zachary Bowersox, Political Science Professor (studlife.com)

“There's probably going to be some commercial interest … in keeping the story and the narrative sanitized.”

— Zachary Bowersox, Political Science Professor (studlife.com)

What’s next

More details on the timing and specifics of the 2028 Olympic soccer matches in St. Louis are expected to be released in April 2026.

The takeaway

St. Louis' selection as a host city for the 2028 Olympics soccer matches reflects the city's growing soccer culture and its status as one of only a handful of cities to have hosted the Summer Olympics multiple times. However, the city's complicated history with the 1904 Olympics will likely require a nuanced approach to commemorating the event.