2028 LA Olympics Soccer to Begin Before Opening Ceremony

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The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will see the men's and women's soccer tournaments begin four days before the opening ceremony on July 14. The soccer matches will be held across the United States, including in cities like New York, Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis, before the tournament reaches the Los Angeles area on July 21 for quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches at the Rose Bowl.

Why it matters

Starting the soccer tournament early allows teams more rest time between games compared to previous Olympics, which could lead to higher-quality play and more competitive matches. The distributed hosting model also brings the excitement of the Olympics to more cities and fans across the country.

The details

According to the schedule released on Monday, the men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments will kick off on July 10 and 11 with group stage matches in cities like New York, Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis. The women's tournament will also have group stage matches starting July 11 in San Diego and San Jose, California. The tournament will not reach the Los Angeles area until July 21, when the women's quarterfinals will be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The men's and women's semifinals and finals will also take place at the Rose Bowl between July 24-29.

• The men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments will begin on July 10 and 11.
• Group stage matches will be held in cities across the U.S. on July 10 and 11.
• The women's tournament will also have group stage matches starting July 11 in San Diego and San Jose.
• The tournament will reach the Los Angeles area on July 21 for the women's quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.
• The men's and women's semifinals and finals will be held at the Rose Bowl between July 24-29.

What’s next

The complete schedule for both the men's and women's soccer tournaments, including game start times, will be released at a later date.