The Rose Bowl Stadium is set to be a landmark site for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, hosting the gold medal semifinals and finals for both men’s and women’s soccer tournaments. This announcement marks a historic first, as it will be the inaugural Olympic soccer event where the number of women’s teams exceeds that of men’s teams.
LA28 revealed that the gold medal matches will take place at the iconic Rose Bowl, with the men’s final scheduled for July 28, 2028, and the women’s final following on July 29, 2028. The event reaffirms the stadium’s esteemed place in Olympic history, making it one of only two venues worldwide—alongside the LA Memorial Coliseum—to host events across three Olympic Games, with prior appearances in 1932 and 1984.
In addition, six U.S. cities have also been selected to host group stage and knockout matches: New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, and San Diego. This arrangement allows teams to progress from east to west, efficiently minimizing travel for participating nations. Complete match schedules will be revealed ahead of the first ticket release in April 2026.
The upcoming games are also notable for expanding the women’s soccer tournament from 12 to 16 teams, a change officially sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee in April 2024. This shift signifies a monumental advancement towards gender parity in Olympic sports, making LA28 the first edition where all team sports will include an equal or greater number of women’s teams compared to men’s.
Shana Ferguson, Chief of Sport and Games Delivery for LA28, expressed excitement about the inclusion of Olympic soccer stages across the United States, promising wider access for fans to engage with this global celebration of sports and unity.
The Rose Bowl’s rich Olympic legacy includes hosting the gold medal match in 1984, where France triumphed over Brazil in front of a record-setting audience of 101,799. The stadium’s extraordinary history also features hosting men’s Olympic soccer finals, as well as matches in both the men’s FIFA World Cup in 1994 and the women’s FIFA World Cup in 1999.
Jens Weiden, the CEO of the Rose Bowl, underscored the stadium’s prominence, calling it “America’s Stadium” and emphasizing its role in uplifting the Southern California community during the 2028 Olympic Games.
With registration for the LA28 Olympic ticket draw now open until March 18, demand for tickets is already high. LA28 reported over 1.5 million registrations on the first day—exceeding the combined first-day totals of the Tokyo, Paris, and Milan Games.
As anticipation builds towards this momentous occasion, the Rose Bowl and the surrounding community are poised to welcome a global audience, celebrating the spirit of the Olympics while highlighting the increased presence of women’s sports on the world stage.