Road to LA28: Barcelona, Spain to host Women's Softball Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has awarded Spain the hosting rights to the Women's Softball Europe/Africa qualifying tournament for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Royal Spanish Baseball Softball Federation (RFEBS) will host the six-team tournament at the Antonio Hervás Municipal Baseball & Softball Stadium, located in Sant Boi de Llobregat, near Barcelona, in September 2027. The WBSC will announce the exact dates at a later date.

Five European teams and one representing Africa will compete for one spot in the LA28 Olympics' six-team tournament. It will be one of three Continental Qualifiers scheduled for 2027. Each will award one berth to LA28.

China will host the Asia/Oceania Qualifier (four teams from Asia, two teams from Oceania) at the Shaoxing Baseball Softball Culture Center.

The other six-team Continental Qualifier will include teams from the Americas.

The St. Boi Baseball and Softball Club inaugurated the venue in 1977. The city upgraded it to Municipal Stadium in 1984 and restructured the softball field between 2011 and 2012.

LA 2028 Softball Qualification Process will start in 2026

The hosts and World No. 2, USA, have already qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Women's Softball tournament. The process to grant the other five berths will start in 2026 with the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group Stage. Prague, Czechia; Lima, Peru; and Oklahoma City, USA, will host the three groups, with the top two teams from each group, plus two wild cards, advancing to the 2027 Finals. Redcliffe, Australia, will host the event from April 5 to 11, 2027. The highest-ranked team in the final standings (excluding the USA) will secure the first of five available Olympic spots.

The Final Qualifier in 2028

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 WBSC will schedule the event no later than March 2028 and will announce the host and the dates at a later stage.