The 2028 Olympic Games are coming to Columbus.
The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games announced that Columbus will be one of six additional venues across the United States to host men’s and women’s soccer matches during the 2028 Summer Games.
Kicking off in Columbus! Please join us in welcoming Columbus Stadium in the Columbus Zone to the LA28 venue roster. Home of the Columbus Crew, it is one of seven venues around the country to host matches of the 2028 Olympic Football (Soccer) Tournaments.
— LA28 (@LA28) February 3, 2026
Amped to attend pic.twitter.com/Dh60MpZYMV
The selected venues span both coasts and include New York City, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San José and San Diego, with ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, home of the Columbus Crew, set to host matches in Ohio’s capital.
Crew president of business operations Mary Shepro told The Columbus Dispatch’s Brianna Mac Kay that the selection process involving LA28 organizers and FIFA took several months.
"We have a dedicated and devoted fan base that we were able to speak to and attest to being able to fill the building for these events," Shepro told The Dispatch. "Even when the FIFA representatives were in town, several of them commented on hearing how electric our stadium atmosphere is and how devoted the city of Columbus is to soccer. And I think wanting to bring that energy to this tournament, and the Olympics, was top of mind for them."
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, formerly known as Lower.com Field, has a capacity of 21,000 and opened in 2021. That same year, the Crew completed construction of the OhioHealth Performance Center, located next to Historic Crew Stadium near the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Nations competing in Columbus during the Olympics will use both facilities to prepare for and play their matches.
"Our facilities being top-notch, that is a main driver for these matches coming to Columbus," Shepro said. "Both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams love to play here. ... The summer of soccer that we had around the 2024 MLS All-Star Game, the Chelsea-Man City game and the Crew-Aston Villa game. Those were all really well received, not just by our community, but by the teams that came here as well.
"There’s a growing momentum, I think, for Columbus being a soccer destination."
The only soccer matches currently scheduled for the 2028 Summer Games are the gold-medal matches, which will take place July 28 and 29, 2028, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Dates and times for matches played in Columbus will be announced at a later date.
