(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
LA28 Olympics: How Baseball and Softball Teams Can Qualify Explained

Baseball and softball will return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), featuring a total of 12 teams across both sports and 234 athletes competing at the event.

The competitions will include six teams in men’s baseball and six teams in women’s softball. Each baseball team will consist of 24 players, while softball teams will have 15 players.

Qualification is determined at the team level, with quota places awarded to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) through a series of international tournaments and qualification events.

For baseball, teams can qualify through multiple pathways, including host nation allocation, the World Baseball Classic, the WBSC Premier12, and a final qualification tournament. As the host nation, the United States automatically secures one place in each competition.

In the men’s baseball event, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela have already secured qualification through the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Additional places will be decided through the 2027 WBSC Premier12, where the top teams from Asia and Europe/Oceania will earn quota spots. The final berth will be awarded through the Final Qualification Event.

For women’s softball, one place will be awarded through the host nation quota, while the remaining spots will be decided through a mix of global and regional competitions.

The winner of the 2027 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals will earn a direct qualification spot. Three additional teams will qualify through continental tournaments in the Americas, Europe/Africa, and Asia/Oceania regions.

The final place will be decided through a global Final Qualification Event, completing the lineup for the LA28 Olympic softball competition.

The system ensures representation from different regions while rewarding performance in major international tournaments leading up to the Olympic Games.