Next stop: The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games

With the closing of the 2026 World Cup and Spain's victory, which added an epic second star to its crest following its triumph in South Africa 2010, the United States began the countdown to its next colossal organizational challenge: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. A sporting event that will take place from July 14 to 30, 2028.

Ever since Sept. 13, 2017, when its selection was made official, Los Angeles and the United States have set the wheels in motion with a clear goal: to host the best Olympic Games in history. For the Californian city, this is no ordinary challenge; it means becoming the host of the world's premier sporting competition for the third time, following the 1932 and 1984 editions, thus cementing its place among the great capitals of the Olympic movement.

With this track record, Los Angeles and the entire country began preparations to deliver the best Olympic Games possible, from improving and modernizing key infrastructure to renovating the stadiums where the various competitions will take place.

What is known so far about the 2028 LA Olympic Games?

First and foremost, it's essential to know the dates of each of the sporting and non-sporting events that make up the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the official schedule, subject to possible future changes, specifying that the opening ceremony will take place on July 14 at two different venues: SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The main show will take place at the former, featuring the lighting of the cauldron and the traditional parade of all participating national delegations; while a complementary, simultaneous show will be held at the latter.

Meanwhile, the closing ceremony will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 30.

From July 15 through the day this major event concludes, each of the 51 sports that will make up the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will be contested, making available more than 40 stadiums or venues for all competitions. Some of them, such as the soccer tournament, will be held outside Los Angeles, in cities like New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose and San Diego.

It's also worth noting the transformations some of the stadiums will undergo. For example, at SoFi Stadium, which usually hosts American football matches for the Rams and the Chargers , an Olympic-sized pool will be temporarily installed to serve as the venue for all swimming events.

Among the new additions to the Olympic program are sports such as flag football (a non-contact version of American football), squash, cricket and lacrosse. In addition, other sports are making a return, such as baseball and softball, which were not part of the Olympic Games since Tokyo 2020. Also, boxing will also be part of the Games.

One of the major changes introduced by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games is the reversal of the order of two of the most important sports. While in previous editions the order was reversed, this time track and field will kick off in the first week of competition, while swimming will be moved to the second week. The reason is a strategic move involving SoFi Stadium.

Instead of the traditional Olympic Village, all athletes will be housed on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, which will be renovated and adapted for the occasion.

"I firmly believe we will see a successful LA 2028 Olympic Games"

In June, IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated that the sport's governing body would be closely monitoring everything that happens at the 2026 World Cup, both on and off the field, with the goal of staying informed and knowing how to respond to the challenges posed by events of this magnitude.

"Obviously, we are very much aware of and closely following the World Cup as the start date approaches," Coventry said in June. "I am confident that in two years' time we will be able to overcome many of the challenges currently facing the World Cup."

"The task force and everyone on the ground are learning, and right now we can only continue to work closely with the Olympic Games Organizing Committee (OCOG) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to continuously share with them the information we receive from stakeholders. I firmly believe we will see a successful 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games," he added.

Will the U.S. remain the Olympic king in front of its home crowd?

While Coventry focuses on the overall challenges, the United States, from a sporting perspective, will focus on remaining the Olympic champion.

Of the 29 editions held so far, the United States topped the medal count in 18 of them. The USSR (on 6 occasions), France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Unified Team (the delegation that participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and brought together athletes from all the former Soviet republics, with the exception of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and China managed to come out on top in the remaining 11.

But it doesn't just lead in that category. No country comes close to the 2,641 medals, comprising 1,063 gold, 835 silver and 743 bronze, that the Stars and Stripes has to its credit. Far behind are the 1,010 medals won by the former Soviet Union, and even further behind are the 931 from the United Kingdom, the 797 from Germany and the 772 from France.

In Los Angeles, in front of its home crowd, the United States will have the opportunity to extend a dominance that began at the 1896 Athens Olympic Games and has grown with each successive Games held every four years.