Road to LA28: Three spots for baseball, five in softball remain up for grabs

With the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) having started the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games across all sports, the exciting journey to see how the remaining three teams claim their tickets to the six-team baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium lies ahead.

World No. 5 Venezuela, the new Baseball World Champions, and No. 12 Dominican Republic earned the two spots in the Men's Baseball Olympic Tournament on offer at the WBC, awarded to the top finishers among the National Teams representing the Americas. Both teams clinched their berth by advancing to the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, the Dominican Republic outscored No. 4 Korea, while Venezuela stunned the defending Baseball World Champions and world No. 1 Japan.

The Dominican Republic run ended with a loss against No. 3 USA after a thrilling semifinal. Venezuela went on to defeat No. 14 Italy in the semifinal and the hosts, USA, in the World Championship Game.

USA have also qualified for the LA28 Games as the host nation.

Next Qualifier: WBSC Premier12 2027

The Baseball Olympic qualification process will resume at the WBSC Premier12 2027, which has now expanded to a 16-team format and carries direct Olympic qualification implications.

With the WBSC Premier12 2027 Qualifiers taking place in 2026, the Road to LA28 continues for some countries later this year.

Two places will be awarded at the WBSC Premier12 2027:

• The highest-placed Asian team
• The top team from Europe or Oceania

Asia brings a formidable Olympic pedigree, with Japan, No. 2 Chinese Taipei and Korea all having claimed Olympic medals. No. 17 China will host one of the two four-team Premier12 2027 qualifying tournaments in Zhongshan from November 26 to 28.

In Europe and Oceania, traditional powers such as the No. 9 Netherlands and No. 11 Australia headline the race. No. 14 Italy, No. 15 Czechia, No. 18 Germany, No. 19 Great Britain, and No. 24 Spain will play in the Premier12 2027 Qualifiers. Spain will host the other qualifying event in Barcelona from October 9 to 11.

For Czechia, Germany, Great Britain and Spain, qualification would mark a historic Olympic debut.

Final chance for Six National Teams in 2028

A six-team Olympic Qualifying Tournament, to be staged no later than March 2028, will award the sixth and final Men's Baseball Olympic berth.

Participants will include:

• The two highest-placed (but not yet qualified) teams from the latest edition of the Asian Championship
• The two highest-placed (but not yet qualified) teams from the latest edition of the European Championship
• The African champion
• The highest placed (but not yet qualified) team from the latest edition of the Oceania Championship

The Softball Qualification Process

The host nation, and world No. 2, USA, is the only qualified team for the Women's Softball LA28 Olympic tournament so far. Five spots are thus up for grabs.

WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals, April 2027 – 1 team

The first opportunity to qualify for the LA28 Olympic softball tournament will be the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2027 where the highest placed team (not yet qualified) will book a ticket to LA28.

Three continental qualification events, 2027 – 3 teams

The three six-team continental qualification tournaments – Asia (4)/Oceania(2), Europe (5)/Africa(1) and the Americas(6) – will qualify one team each for LA28. The continental quotas (in brackets) include the host country.

Final Qualification Event – no later than March 2028 – 1 team

The runner-up and third-placed teams in the Asia/Oceania, Europe/Africa and the Americas continental qualification tournaments will take part in the Final Qualification Event, where the winner will claim the last spot in the softball tournament at LA28.

“The qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games reflects our commitment to excellence, universality, and a global, world-class tournament,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “By combining elite global events with clear continental pathways, we are ensuring that the very best baseball and softball teams from across all regions have a clear opportunity to qualify for LA28.

“This Road to LA28 will showcase the global strength, diversity, and popularity of international baseball/softball, and we look forward to working closely with our National Federations, our stakeholders, National Olympic Committees and the IOC to deliver outstanding Olympic tournaments.”