Wikipedia

Baseball at the 2028 Summer Olympics

Baseball will be featured at the 2028 Summer Olympics at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, for the first time since the 2020 Summer Olympics.[1] After not being featured at the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024, baseball/softball was approved as one of five optional sports for 2028.[2]

Baseball
at the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad
VenueDodger Stadium
Los Angeles, California
DatesJuly 13–19, 2028
No. of events1
Competitors144 from 6 nations
← 2020

Qualification

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Six national teams will qualify for the Olympic baseball tournament.

The United States automatically qualified, as the host nation. Two teams from the Americas, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, qualified through the 2026 World Baseball Classic in March 2026. Additionally, two teams will qualify through the 2027 WBSC Premier12 in November 2027, with one being the highest placed team from Asia and the other from either Europe or Oceania. The final team to qualify will be decided at the Final Qualifying Tournament, held no later than March 2028. The event will feature the top two unqualified teams from the Asian Baseball Championship, two teams from the European Men's Baseball Championship, one team from the Oceania Baseball Championship, and the winner of the Africa Cup Baseball Championship.[3][4][5]

Event DatesLocation(s)Berth(s)Qualified
Host nation N/a N/a 1  United States
2026 World Baseball Classic Americas March 5–17, 2026 United States Miami[a] 2  Dominican Republic
 Venezuela
2027 WBSC Premier12 Asia 2027 TBD 1 [b]
Europe/Oceania 1 [c]
Final Qualifying Tournament No later than March 2028 TBD 1
Total 6

Competition schedule

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As of November 12, 2025[6]
Legend
PRPreliminary round QFQuarterfinals SFSemifinals BBronze medal game FGold medal game
Thu 13Fri 14Sat 15Sun 16Mon 17Tue 18Wed 19
PRPRQFSFBF

Team squads

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Each national team may name a squad of 24 players, with a total of 144 athletes participating in the Olympic baseball tournament.[7]

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has publicly expressed interest in the idea of major league players participating in the Olympics, calling it "a unique opportunity to market the sport worldwide."[8] The 2028 competition taking place in July would somewhat align with the traditional time frame for the MLB All-Star break, in which no regular season games are played one day before through two days after the annual All-Star Game.[9] In negotiations with the MLB Players Association, the league proposed an extended break for the 2028 season that would begin on July 9, set the All-Star Game on July 11 in San Francisco, and resume the regular season on July 21.[10]

Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball is expected to take a customary break, similar to the 2020 Olympics.[11]

Competition format

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In the group stage teams will be broken into two groups of three. Each team will play two games. The top team from each group will advance automatically to the semifinals, while the remaining four teams will play in the quarterfinals for the final two semifinal spots.[6]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ The World Baseball Classic was played in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Japan, with the final in Miami.
  2. ↑  China,  Chinese Taipei,  Japan, and  South Korea are eligible for qualification through this path.
  3. ↑  Australia, the  Czech Republic,  Germany,  Great Britain,  Italy, the  Netherlands, and  Spain are eligible for qualification through this path.

References

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  1. ↑ "Baseball". Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  2. ↑ "IOC approves five additional sports for LA 2028 Olympics, including cricket". Al Jazeera English. Doha. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Road to LA28 set as Olympic Baseball and Softball Qualification System confirmed". World Baseball Softball Confederation. February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ Fidler, Gabriel (February 10, 2026). "2028 Olympic Qualification Announced". mister-baseball.com. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ "USA's Baseball, Softball Get Automatic Spots At L.A.'s 2028 Summer Olympics". FoxSports.com. February 9, 2026. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Skodnick, Leif (November 12, 2025). "2028 Olympic Baseball Format and Game Schedule Announced". World Baseball Network. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  7. ↑ Goh, ZK (June 22, 2026). "How to qualify for baseball and softball at LA28 Olympics: The qualification system explained". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ Gonzalez, Alden (October 27, 2025). "Manfred optimistic about MLB player participation in '28 Olympics". ESPN. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  9. ↑ Zaccardi, Nick (October 28, 2025). "MLB players in 2028 Olympics? Rob Manfred 'positive' about interest, logistical issues remain". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  10. ↑ Vankin, Jonathan (July 17, 2026). "Will 2028 Olympic Baseball With MLB Players Cancel the All-Star Game?". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
  11. ↑ Coskrey, Jason (July 19, 2021). "NPB rolls into Olympic break after eventful first half". The Japan Times. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
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