In a major shift aimed at promoting gender equality, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced a revamped format for soccer at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The women's tournament will now feature 16 teams—up from the previous 12—while the men’s side will see a reduction from 16 to 12 teams.
Gender Balance and Mixed Events Drive LA 2028 Overhaul
This adjustment is part of a broader initiative introduced by the IOC on Wednesday, aimed at increasing gender parity across the Olympic Games. More mixed-gender events will also be introduced in sports like athletics, archery, golf, and gymnastics. Additionally, all team sports will now include an equal number of men’s and women’s squads.
Rise in Popularity of Women’s Soccer Sparks Expansion
The IOC attributed the expansion of the women’s soccer field to the sport’s soaring popularity—particularly in the United States.
“We wanted to do something to reflect that growth and equally with the United States being the home of the highest level of popularity of women’s football,” said IOC sports director Kit McConnell during a press conference.
With consultation with the Los Angeles Games organizing committee and FIFA, this decision was made.
Overall Athlete Quota Remains Unchanged
The compositional changes maintain the overall number of athletes competing at the Games to 10,500. This is a reallocation that focuses on maximizing equality without increasing the footprint of the Olympics.
Thus, the actual number of soccer players will remain unchanged: there will be no difference between the men and the women; this is forвstructural rather than numerical adjustmen.
The United States atop Women’s Football Glory
Indeed, that's the US that the FIFA Men’s World Cup is hosting in 2026 and the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup. They've certainly been the kings of Olympic gold medals in women’s football with five. It is probable that their successes and presence in the domestic competition spurred this push from the IOC for a wider exposure of women’s football on the Olympic arena.
Now, the Olympic soccer tournament for men will once again remain mostly under-23, as has been the tradition in recent editions.
More Medal Events to Come
At the LA 2028 Olympics, 351 medal events will be undertaken, which is increased by 22 events over the Paris 2024 Olympics. This will include a few new mixed team formats in several disciplines.
The organizing committee added five further sports:
Baseball/Softball
Cricket
Flag football
Lacrosse
Squash
Adding these sports would create 698 new athlete quota places, thereby increasing opportunities further to diversify and globalize the Olympic program without affecting the fixed athlete count.