Stocking of the women’s tournament
© Imago
The Olympic football tournament in Los Angeles 2028 is to be held with more women’s teams and fewer men’s teams. In the women, 16 national teams and four more than in the previous year in Paris play for the medals, as the top of the International Olympic Committee decided. There are only twelve starting places in the men’s tournament, four less than before.
The FIFA World Football Association originally proposed to organize both tournaments with 16 teams in Los Angeles last autumn. In view of the limits agreed with the Olympic organizers, however, the IOC rejected an expansion for the number of participants in the respective sports. Therefore, FIFA and the Olympic makers decided to start more women than men’s teams. “This reflects the growth of women’s football all over the world,” said IOC sports director Kit McConnell.
New distribution of the Olympic starting places still open
The national teams start in the Olympic women’s tournament, so there are the strongest footballers of the qualified countries. This almost makes the competition a second World Cup. In contrast, the U23 selection teams are launched in the men’s tournament, which are strengthened with three older professionals each.
What the changed number of participants for the respective qualifications mean, i.e. how many places will be available to the continental associations at the Olympics in the future is still open. At the summer games in Paris, the German selection of women Bronze won. The men’s selection of the DFB had not qualified for 2024 Olympics.