As the fireworks lit up the Parisian sky, the 2024 Summer Olympic Games came to a grand finale inside the iconic Stade de France. The closing ceremony was a fitting end to an Olympics filled with remarkable achievements. Paris, the city of lights, not only dazzled the world with its sportsmanship but also with its pioneering efforts to reduce the Games’ carbon footprint, making this one of the greenest and most cost-effective Olympics in history.

In a truly Herculean effort, the hosts succeeded in making the Seine swimmable again, even if just for the designated events. This achievement alone left an indelible mark on the legacy of Paris 2024. Yet, amidst all the triumphs, there was one notable absence: the introduction of new sports. Breaking was the sole new addition to the roster, captivating audiences with its dynamic energy and flair.

However, the story doesn’t end there. In a cinematic twist worthy of a blockbuster, Tom Cruise strapped the Olympic flag to his bike and rode off into the Hollywood Hills. The superstar carried with him not just the flag but the promise that LA 2028 will usher in a new era of Olympic excitement with multiple new sports on the horizon.

What sports will debut at the 2028 LA Olympics?

Two new sports, flag football and squash, will make their Olympic debut in Los Angeles. While it’s unclear who’ll make up the men’s and women’s flag football teams, several NFL athletes have already shown their interest. Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts hope to participate. Hurts is the official ambassador for flag football at LA28.

While the USA will naturally be among the favorites at the event, it won’t follow the traditional American football format. Matches will be five vs. five, with no offensive linesmen, and a smaller 50-yard pitch as opposed to the NFL’s 112 to 115-yard pitch. While Flag Football will be an outdoor sport, the LA Olympics will also include the popular indoor sport, squash.

The World Squash Federation finally succeeded in getting the green light to include the sport at the 2028 Summer Games, after four attempts and years of lobbying. Notable international contests such as the Asian Games have already included the racket sport. However, unlike badminton or tennis, squash players compete inside a four-walled indoor court.

Competitive squash matches follow the best-of-five structure, where the first athlete to win three rounds (11 points for each round) wins the match. Besides the debutants, LA 2028 is also set to bring back four sports that have already featured past editions of the Summer Olympics.

The returning Olympic sports

The LA Olympics will see baseball and softball (a modified indoor version of baseball) make their return once again after exclusion from Paris 2024. Although the IOC made baseball a permanent sport in 1992, they dropped it in 2008. The sports returned once more during the 2020 Olympic Games, only to be excluded once again.

You may think the USA has dominated sports at the Olympic Games. After all, America is the home of the MLB, the world’s premier baseball league. However, it’s Cuba who has won three Olympic golds, while the USA, South Korea, and Japan have won a single Olympic baseball title each. The U.S. has had far better luck in softball.

The host nation has won three golds out of the five times the sport has featured in the Summer Olympics. However, softball contests won’t take place in LA, and will instead be held in Oklahoma City. Next up on the list is Lacrosse. If you think squash had to wait by the sidelines for a long time, then you should know that lacrosse is returning after 120 years.

Cricket is the final sport making its return at LA 2028. Only Team GB and France participated in the sole Olympic cricket contest held during the 1900 Paris Olympic Games. However, gold medal winner Great Britain will have a lot more competition this time. LA 2028 will feature the shorter T-20 format of the sport.

Finally, we come to breaking. Although breaking made quite a buzz with its Olympic debut at this year’s Games, LA 2028 has dropped the sport. However, it’s not all bad news as skateboarding, sport climbing, and the massively popular surfing get transition from optional to permanent sports at the LA Olympics. Which one are you most excited to watch? Let us know.