Snapdragon Stadium will be among six MLS stadiums to be used for group play through the semifinals for the 2028 men's and women's Olympic soccer tournaments, organizers announced Tuesday.
The stadium is San Diego State University’s (SDSU) home field and the home field for San Diego’s two soccer teams — San Diego Wave FC and San Diego FC.
“This is why we built this building. We built this building to bring not only local events, but international events, concerts, shows, all the things,” SDSU director of athletics John David Wicker said.
Between the recent rollout of a new stadium, two professional soccer teams, and the World Cup taking place this year across the US, Mexico and Canada, there's been an explosive growth of soccer culture in the San Diego-Tijuana region.
“There’s so much credibility here. I think between both the men's team and the women's team now, our fans have showed up since day one," San Diego Wave FC chief business officer Emily Neenan said. " And I would argue they're not just here to support the clubs, but they elevate the game.”
The Olympics coming to town builds on that momentum.
“Having all eyes on San Diego is going to be additive to what happens two years prior with the World Cup here this summer,” San Diego FC CEO Tom Penn said.
The Rose Bowl will be the site of the men's gold medal match on July 28, 2028, and the women's gold medal match July 29.
The other stadiums selected were ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, Energizer Park in St. Louis, PayPal Park in San Jose and the under-construction Etihad Park in the New York City borough of Queens, set to open in 2027.
“We are a sports city, we are a soccer city, and we are without a question a global city," said San Diego mayor Todd Gloria. "At the heart of this moment and this announcement is Snapdragon stadium, which during the games will be proudly known as San Diego Stadium.”
During Olympic play, the stadiums will simply carry the names of the city they are in, followed by "stadium," because of the International Olympic Committee rule barring the use of commercial names from companies that are not Olympic sponsors.
Olympic soccer games before the gold medal games are traditionally played away from the host city. When the U.S. last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996, stadiums in Birmingham, Alabama; Miami; Orlando, Florida; and Washington, D.C., were used for pre-gold medal games.
"Bringing Olympic football group stage and knockout matches to stadiums across the United States means more fans will witness this global event and experience the Olympic spirit firsthand," Shana Ferguson, the chief of sport and games delivery officer for the LA28 organizing committee, said in a statement.
LA28 worked closely with Soccer United Marketing, MLS' commercial arm, to evaluate stadiums nationwide to ensure that the chosen venues meet the highest international standards, according to LA28.
LA28 announced it is developing a game distribution that allows the competition to move progressively from east to west as teams advance toward the final stages, minimizing travel.
Additionally, to support athlete well-being and allow for increased recovery time between matches, the International Olympic Committee and LA28 are considering an extended competition window for the soccer tournaments, with preliminary matches taking place prior to the opening ceremony.
The schedule for both the women's and men's soccer tournaments, including the dates and match distribution per stadium, will be announced before the first ticket drop in April.
The specific team matchups will be revealed later, following further progress in the LA28 Olympic qualification process and the official tournament draw.
According to an LA28 spokesperson, San Diego County residents, as well as other soccer venues locations, do not qualify for the locals-only presale, but you can register for the LA28 ticket draw here.
