ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home to the Columbus Crew, will hold matches for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Women’s and Men’s Soccer Tournaments, along with six other cities.
The announcement was made on Tuesday morning.
These preliminary matches will lead to the final stage matches at the Rose Bowl Stadium, making a total of seven cities involved in the Olympic Soccer Tournaments. The other cities are Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, St. Louis, San Diego, and San José, Calif.
“We’re honored to host matches for the LA28 Olympic Football (Soccer) Tournaments in Columbus, which will be another massive moment for soccer in our city and country,” said Mary Shepro, president of business operations for the Columbus Crew. “The Crew are passionate about advancing our sport, both for men’s and women’s competition, and elevating Columbus locally and around the world while creating opportunities for visitors to experience our great region.”
The dates and match distribution per stadium for the tournaments will be announced before the first tickets become available in April. Specific team matchups will be revealed later on, after the official tournament draw and further progress is made in the Olympic qualification process.
Rob McBurnett, Columbus Crew's vice president of communications, said there was an extended bid process for Columbus to express interest and showcase the stadium and infrastructure of the city. LA28 worked with Soccer United Marketing and Major League Soccer’s commercial arm “to evaluate stadiums nationwide to ensure that the chosen venues meet the highest international standards.”
The LA28 Olympic Soccer Tournaments mark the first time Ohio will be home to official Olympic competition. ScottsMiracle-Gro Field will be referred to as “Columbus Stadium” throughout the Olympic Games period.
“Columbus soccer fans are second to none – now, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show that off on the global stage,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. “I know everyone who visits our city as die-hard soccer fans will leave with a similar enthusiasm for everything Columbus has to offer.”
Registration for the LA28 Olympic Ticket Draw is open now through March 18. Tickets will be available for purchase during designated time slots starting April 9.
The LA Olympic Games dates are July 14 to July 30, 2028, and the LA Paralympic Games dates are August 15 to August 27, 2028.