The five new sports that will define LA28
Flag football, cricket, lacrosse, squash, and the return of baseball and softball — each one a bid for a whole new audience.
Every host city gets to add sports, and LA’s picks tell you exactly who they’re trying to reach. This isn’t a random grab bag — it’s a play for some of the biggest fan bases on Earth.
Flag football
The non-contact cousin of the NFL: five-a-side, pull the flag instead of the tackle, fast and high-scoring. Its Olympic debut rides the enormous global reach of American football — and expect some very familiar faces to angle for a roster spot.
Cricket
Back in the Games for the first time since 1900, in its shortest, most explosive format — T20. With over a billion fans concentrated across South Asia and the Commonwealth, this may be the single biggest audience play in the entire program.
Lacrosse
One of North America’s oldest sports returns in the modern “Sixes” format — six-a-side, smaller field, shot clock — built to be quick and TV-friendly.
Squash
After years of near-misses, squash finally gets its moment: two players, four walls, relentless rallies, and one of the most physically brutal sports on the planet in front of a first-time Olympic audience.
Baseball & softball
Both return after their on-and-off Olympic history — a natural fit for a US-hosted Games, with baseball at Dodger Stadium shaping up as a marquee-venue highlight.
Together they give LA28 a distinctly American flavor while reaching audiences the Olympics have historically struggled to pull in. We’ll be covering each as the qualifying picture forms.