The road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is already underway, with qualification pathways stretching across continents and years before the Opening Ceremony on July 14, 2028.
Multiple Roads to Qualification
Rather than a single pathway, most LA28 sports rely on a combination of routes: continental games, world rankings, host-country quotas, and dedicated qualification tournaments. Squash, for example, will allocate spots through five continental Games plus world rankings and a final qualifying tournament, a structure increasingly common across Olympic sports.
Continental Games as Qualifiers
This makes 2026 and 2027 crucial years for Olympic hopefuls. The Asian Games in Nagoya, the African Games in Cairo, the European Games in Istanbul, and the Pan American Games in Lima will all double as qualification events across multiple sports, turning continental championships into genuine Olympic stepping stones.
A Notable New Addition
Cricket returns to the Olympics at LA28 for the first time since 1900, with six men’s and six women’s teams competing in the T20 format. The Asian Games in Nagoya serves as a major qualification pathway for the sport, meaning this September’s action in Japan carries real Olympic stakes for competing nations.
Host Country Advantages
As the host nation, the United States receives guaranteed quota spots in several sports, though the exact allocation varies by federation and typically comes with conditions attached.
Why This Matters Now
Qualification windows that once felt distant are now active. For a look at one of the biggest qualification events on the calendar this year, our Asian Games guide breaks down what’s at stake in Nagoya. And if you’re following the broader continental qualification landscape, our Commonwealth Games preview covers another major multi-sport event feeding into future Olympic cycles.
The Bottom Line
With qualification pathways already active years ahead of the Opening Ceremony, LA28 hopefuls are treating nearly every major international competition between now and 2028 as a stepping stone toward the Games.