Football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics kicks off before the Opening Ceremony even happens — and it runs all the way to the final weekend, with gold medals on the line for both the men's and women's tournaments. Here's everything you need to know, in order.
Early kick-off: Football leads the way
The men's tournament gets going on Monday, July 10 (Day -4), with group stage matches at times still to be confirmed. The women follow a day later on Tuesday, July 11, also in group play with kick-off times TBA.
Both tournaments continue through the pre-ceremony window. Men's group matches return on Thursday, July 13, while women's group play picks up again on Friday, July 14 — the day of the Opening Ceremony itself. Olympic football has always played by its own schedule, and 2028 is no different.
More men's group stage action follows on Sunday, July 16, with women's group play resuming on Monday, July 17.
Knockouts, medal matches, and who takes gold
The men's quarterfinals are split across two days: Thursday, July 20 and Friday, July 21. From there, the men's semifinals land on Monday, July 24 at 4 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern — a genuine late-night slot for East Coast viewers that will suit West Coast audiences just fine.
The men's bronze-medal match is scheduled for Thursday, July 27 at 9 p.m. Eastern, with the gold-medal final on Friday, July 28 at 9 p.m. Eastern. That's a marquee prime-time slot, and whoever's in it will have earned it through a gruelling three-week campaign.
The women's knockout road is slightly different. Semifinals are set for Tuesday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern. The bronze-medal match follows on Friday, July 28 at 4 p.m. Eastern, and the women's gold-medal final closes out on Saturday, July 29 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
A word of caution: kick-off times across the group stage are still listed as TBA throughout. That will change as the tournament draws closer and venue allocations are confirmed — but for now, the match dates are locked in even if the clocks aren't.
- Men's group stage: July 10, 13, 16
- Women's group stage: July 11, 14, 17
- Men's quarterfinals: July 20–21
- Men's semifinals: July 24 (4 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET)
- Women's semifinals: July 25 (8:30 p.m. & 11:30 p.m. ET)
- Men's bronze medal: July 27 (9 p.m. ET)
- Women's bronze medal: July 28 (4 p.m. ET)
- Women's gold medal: July 29 (3:30 p.m. ET)
- Men's gold medal: July 28 (9 p.m. ET)
All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change.
