By Rory Carroll
Feb 3 (Reuters) - Organisers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on Tuesday named six stadiums across the United States set to host matches in the men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments, expanding the competition footprint well beyond Southern California.
LA28 said group stage and knockout games will be played in New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose and San Diego.
Venues range from an under-construction New York City Football Club stadium due to be completed in 2027
to established Major League Soccer grounds in Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri and Northern California.
Final-stage matches, including the men's and women's gold medal games, have already been confirmed for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The men's final is scheduled for July 28, 2028, followed by the women's final on July 29, 2028, organisers said.
LA28 said it designed the tournament schedule to stage matches concurrently from the East Coast to the West Coast in an effort to limit travel and support athlete welfare while offering fans a more geographically inclusive Games experience.
The organisers also highlighted a milestone in Olympic football, saying that for the first time more women's teams (16) than men's teams (12) will compete.
LA28 said it aims to set a benchmark for the first Olympics in which all team sports will feature at least as many women's teams as men's.
A full match schedule for both tournaments, including dates and locations for every game, will be announced before tickets go on sale in April, LA28 said.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in MilanEditing by Christian Radnedge)
