Columbus, Ohio Gears Up to Host Olympic Soccer Matches in 2028
Columbus, Ohio is gearing up to become an Olympic city in two years, with the confirmation of nine soccer matches for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics to be played at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in the Arena District. The Columbus Crew’s home stadium is one of six venues outside of Los Angeles selected to host games for the men’s and women’s soccer tournaments. The city will host eight combined group stage matches for men and women, starting on July 10, four days before the opening ceremony in Los Angeles. This early start is a first for a summer games, with matches scheduled on July 11, 13, 14, and 16, culminating in a men’s quarterfinal on July 20. Kickoff times and opponents will be announced later, and the deadline to register for the ticket draw is Wednesday.
In addition to Columbus, other cities like New York, Nashville, St. Louis, San Diego, and San Jose will also host matches, with the Rose Bowl in Pasadena set to host key games like a women’s quarterfinal, semifinals for both tournaments, and the gold medal matches. The LA 2028 soccer tournaments will see a change in the number of teams competing, with the men’s tournament reducing to 12 teams, while the women’s tournament expanding to 16 teams. As hosts, the United States has automatically qualified for both tournaments, with the American women entering as defending gold medalists from the Paris Olympics and the men aiming to improve on their quarterfinal finish in 2024. Brazil and Colombia have also secured spots in the women’s competition so far.
The kickoff for the first game on July 10 will mark a historic moment as it will be the first time an Olympic event takes place in Ohio. Columbus has a rich history of hosting international soccer events, including USA men’s and women’s games and fixtures from the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The anticipation is building as the city prepares to showcase its sporting prowess on the global stage in 2028.