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. Here's how the full tournament plays out for both the men's and women's competitions.
Early starters: football beats the torch
The men's group stage opens on Monday, July 10 — four days before the Opening Ceremony on July 14. Women's group play follows the next day, July 11. Exact kick-off times are still TBA for most of the group phase, which is standard Olympic football scheduling practice, though the draw and venue confirmations will eventually pin those down.
The women's group stage continues on July 14 (Day 0) and July 17 (Day 3). The men return for more group play on July 13 and July 16 before the knockout rounds begin.
Knockouts and medal matches
The men's quarterfinals are scheduled across two days: July 20 and July 21. From there, the men's semifinals land on July 24 at 4:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern — a split slate that suggests matches in different time zones across LA and co-host cities.
The women's semifinals follow on July 25 at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Eastern.
Then comes the business end:
- Men's bronze-medal match: Thursday, July 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET
- Women's bronze-medal match: Friday, July 28 at 4:00 p.m. ET
- Men's gold-medal match: Friday, July 28 at 9:00 p.m. ET
- Women's gold-medal match: Saturday, July 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET
The men's and women's finals on the same day — July 28 — is a scheduling quirk worth flagging. The gold medals land back-to-back in primetime, which gives broadcasters a clean double-header but means the women's final gets the earlier, less prominent slot the following afternoon.
What to watch for
Olympic men's football is an under-23 tournament with three overage slots, which historically produces unpredictable group stages — lower-ranked nations can absolutely turn over fancied teams before the knockouts separate the field. The women's draw tends to mirror senior international rankings more closely, so early match-ups will carry stronger form signals for anyone pricing the outright markets.
All times are Eastern. The schedule remains subject to change.
