Football kicks off the LA28 Olympics before the Opening Ceremony even happens — and it doesn't finish until the final weekend of the Games. Here's every match, every round, across both the men's and women's tournaments.
All times are Eastern. Specific kickoff times within match windows are still to be confirmed.
Group Stage
The men's tournament gets going on Monday, July 10 (Day -4), four days before the Opening Ceremony. The women follow a day later on Tuesday, July 11.
Both tournaments run parallel group stages across the opening week:
- Men's group play: July 10, July 13, July 16 (times TBA)
- Women's group play: July 11, July 14, July 17 (times TBA)
That pre-ceremony start is standard for Olympic football — you need the extra days to fit a full knockout bracket inside the Games window. It also means football fans are getting live action while the rest of the world is still just watching athletes arrive.
Knockout Rounds
Once the group stage wraps, both tournaments shift into knockout football fast.
- Men's quarterfinals: July 20 and July 21 (Day 6-7, times TBA)
- Men's semifinals: July 24 (Day 10) — 4:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. ET
- Women's semifinals: July 25 (Day 11) — 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. ET
The women's semifinals on Day 11 are a late-night double-header on the East Coast — expect European audiences to have the better scheduling deal there.
Medal Matches
The closing weekend is where it gets serious.
- Men's bronze-medal match: July 27 (Day 13) — 9:00 p.m. ET
- Women's bronze-medal match: July 28 (Day 14) — 4:00 p.m. ET
- Men's gold-medal match: July 28 (Day 14) — 9:00 p.m. ET
- Women's gold-medal match: July 29 (Day 15) — 3:30 p.m. ET
The men's gold medal match on the penultimate day of the Games is a prime-time slot that the LA organizers will be counting on to deliver big numbers. Olympic football gold still carries genuine weight — ask anyone who watched Argentina or France lift it in recent cycles.
Women's gold wraps up on Day 15, the day before the Closing Ceremony. Given how the USWNT draws crowds domestically, a U.S. run to that final would make July 29 one of the most-watched days of the entire Games.
All specific kickoff times remain TBA — the schedule is subject to change as venue logistics are confirmed closer to the tournament.
