How to qualify in Baseball and softball
How baseball and softball teams qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Checked 20 October 2026Valid for: Open: the dates and venues of the softball continental qualifiers (the document has "XXX 2027") and both Final Qualification Events.
Baseball at Los Angeles 2028 is for men and softball for women, six teams each (24 players in baseball, 15 in softball).
Baseball places already won. The 2026 World Baseball Classic (March 2026) was the only qualifier for the Americas: its two best teams from the Americas other than the United States qualified.
| Team | Qualified | Place at the Classic |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Host | 2nd |
| Venezuela | 14 March 2026 | Winner |
| Dominican Republic | 13 March 2026 | 3rd (semi-finalist) |
Still to come in baseball:
- WBSC Premier12, November 2027: the best team from Asia and the best from Europe or Oceania.
- Final Qualification Event, by March 2028: one team from six (the top two not yet qualified from the latest Asia and Europe championships, and one each from Africa and the Oceania qualifier).
Softball:
- Host (United States).
- 2027 Women's Softball World Cup Finals: the winner.
- Three continental qualifiers in 2027: Asia/Oceania, Europe/Africa, Americas (Surrey, Canada): the winner of each.
- Final Qualification Event, by March 2028: one team from six (second and third from each continental qualifier).
Places
| Route | Baseball | Softball |
|---|---|---|
| Host | 1 | 1 |
| World Baseball Classic 2026 (Americas) | 2 | |
| Premier12 2027 (Asia; Europe or Oceania) | 2 | |
| Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2027 | 1 | |
| Continental qualifiers 2027 | 3 | |
| Final Qualification Event | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 6 |
- Places go to the country. One team per country per event.
- An unused host place goes to the next team at the 2027 Premier12 (baseball) or World Cup Finals (softball).
- Each qualified baseball team may bring four alternates (Ap athletes).
Who can play
Baseball players turn 18 in 2028; softball players turn 16 in 2028.
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | World Baseball Classic (done) |
| 2027 | Softball continental qualifiers; Women's Softball World Cup Finals |
| November 2027 | WBSC Premier12 |
| By March 2028 | Final Qualification Events |
| 26 June 2028 | Entries deadline for the Games |
| 14 to 30 July 2028 | LA28 Olympic Games |
Where to follow it
wbsc.org publishes results and qualified teams.