Columbus to Host 2028 Olympic Soccer Tournaments

City selected as one of seven sites for men's and women's soccer events

Feb. 3, 2026 at 6:55pm

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Columbus has been selected as one of the host cities for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics soccer tournaments. The men's and women's soccer matches will be played at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home of the Columbus Crew, which holds 21,000 fans. Columbus was chosen due to factors like the venue's capacity, premium seating, and high-quality playing surface, as well as the city's strong soccer culture.

Why it matters

Hosting the Olympic soccer tournaments is a major coup for Columbus, showcasing the city's growing reputation as a soccer hub. It will bring increased tourism and visibility to the city, as well as opportunities for community engagement around the games.

The details

The 2028 Olympics will feature an expanded 16-team women's tournament and a 12-team men's tournament. The soccer events will move from east to west across the U.S. during the group and knockout stages, before concluding at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles for the gold medal matches. In addition to Columbus, the other host cities are Nashville, New York, San Diego, San Jose, and St. Louis.

  • The 2028 Olympic soccer tournaments will take place from July 20 to July 29, 2028.
  • The gold medal matches are scheduled for July 28 and 29, 2028.

The players

Mary Shepro

President of Business Operations for the Columbus Crew.

LA28 Olympic Committee

The organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

FIFA

The international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer.

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What they’re saying

“It's really a package deal. It's a combination of our capacity, the premium seating, the quality of our pitch, which is known around the league as one of the highest quality pitches ... and how devoted the city of Columbus is to soccer.”

— Mary Shepro, President of Business Operations, Columbus Crew (The Columbus Dispatch)

What’s next

The official schedule for the 2028 Olympic soccer tournaments is expected to be announced in the upcoming months, with tickets going on sale in April 2028. Registration for the Olympic ticket lottery is open until March 18, 2028 on the LA28 website.

The takeaway

Columbus' selection as a host city for the 2028 Olympic soccer tournaments is a testament to the city's growing reputation as a soccer hub and its ability to host major sporting events. This will bring increased visibility and economic opportunities to the city, as well as chances for the community to engage with the games.