Greater Los Angeles is home to so many different top teams, across a wide number of elite sports. Whether you want to take in a true American matchday or attend a fixture for an international sport like soccer, there is truly a venue for you in LA. 12 major league teams exist within the metropolitan area: in baseball, the Dodgers and the Angels; in basketball, the Lakers and Clippers, as well as WNBA side Los Angeles Sparks; in football, the Rams and Chargers; in soccer, LA Galaxy and LAFC, as well as top women’s side Angel City FC; in ice hockey, the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. This century alone, 9 of these 12 teams have won a combined total of 24 championships. The area is also home to nine universities whose teams compete in NCAA Division I level sports, and of course will host yet another Olympic Games in 2028. So, no matter which sport you’re interested in getting a ticket to see, there’s plenty of options when living in or visiting LA. 

2028 Olympics brings the Games back to Los Angeles for a third time

We should first start by talking about the Olympic Games. Los Angeles will become the first non-European city to host the event for a third time when the games arrive in 2028. Only London and Paris, both recent host cities, have ever held the games three times. Of course, the two previous hostings of the games were held at historic times: 1932, held during the worldwide Great Depression, leading to some nations unable to travel and participate; and 1984, during the peak of the Cold War, in which 14 Eastern-bloc countries boycotted the event.

There is, therefore, obviously so much hope that 2028 should see the whole world stood together, united in the unique melting pot that is Los Angeles. There is no better time for the world to descend upon our city, and to make the most of everything we have to offer. But of course, sport will take the focus for the summer. The Games has now brought skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the events as permanent sports, thanks to their popularity during the most recent two Olympiads. These three sports alone are perfect for the Los Angeles culture and are must-see events in our city: you will be able to find the skateboarding at a temporary venue by the Sepulveda Dam in the San Fernando Valley, sport climbing will take place at Long Beach and surfing will take place at Trestles State Beach. In honouring some of the best sports that America has to offer, flag football will debut at the LA Games, alongside squash, whilst baseball/softball and lacrosse return, as well as a short-form version of cricket.

9 MLB titles have been won by our baseball teams

Some would say there is nothing more American than baseball. With Los Angeles home to many diamonds across the city’s expansive parks, everyone in the city can get involved at numerous levels of the game. At elite level, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels represent the city in MLB with separate stadiums welcoming in excess of 45,000 spectators for home ties. Between them, 9 titles have been won here in LA, with the Dodgers regarded as one of the most successful and renowned franchises in the sport, and current home of global superstar, Shohei Ohtani.

Three elite basketball sides call Los Angeles home

Three basketball teams call Los Angeles its home, with Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Arena) host to both NBA side Los Angeles Lakers and WNBA team LA Sparks, who between them have delivered 15 titles to the residents of our city. LA Clippers play their NBA matches at Intuit Dome, and as they are yet to win a championship title - and are in fact the oldest sports team franchise in the United States never to play in a Championship game - many draw unfavourable comparisons to the Lakers. When it comes to women’s basketball, the Sparks have qualified for the season-end playoffs more than any other team in the league, making it in 20 out of their 28 years so far.

Football franchises are back in LA and in high-demand

SoFi Stadium and its +70,000 capacity is home to both the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, of course, most recently claimed the Super Bowl in 2021, whereas the Chargers have only made one losing appearance in the Super Bowl when they were located in San Diego. Home games are regular sell outs for both sides when they play at SoFi, so it isn’t easy to get your hands on tickets if you’re visiting the city, but it is well worth the day out if an opportunity arises. 

Three Stanley Cups have been brought back to the city

You don’t immediately associate the warm, Mediterranean weather of Los Angeles with the sport of ice hockey. However, three championship titles have been delivered to the city, with the Anaheim Ducks claiming the Stanley Cup first in the 2006-07 season, and the Los Angeles Kings winning twice in almost back-to-back seasons: 2011-12 and 2013-14. The Honda Center welcomes 17,000 fans to Ducks games hosted on home ice, whilst the Crypto.com Arena seats 18,000 for Kings fixtures.

Soccer is on the rise in Los Angeles

Aerial view of BMO Stadium, home to LAFC and Angel City FC; © Fred Thomas III

The global sport of soccer is a relatively recent arrival to Los Angeles, with LA Galaxy becoming one of the inaugural sides of MLS in 1996, and one of the most successful too with 6 MLS Cups delivered in 10 finals appearances. Chivas USA briefly played in the city unsuccessfully for 10 years before being dissolved in 2015 and eventually replaced by LAFC in 2018, who burst onto the scene and delivered trophies very quickly, with their first MLS Cup win in 2022. Women’s football continues to grow globally, and nowhere is held in higher esteem for the sport than the NWSL. Angel City FC began playing at the highest level of the game in 2022, and has many high-profile owners including Natalie Portman, America Ferrera and Eva Longoria. 

With so many large arenas in the city being called home by elite sports teams, there is almost always somewhere where residents or visitors can catch a game of their favourite sport. It is equally as easy to become a fan of a new sport, with LA representing such breadth at elite level across so many different sports. But most importantly, the city becoming a three-time Olympic host city just shows how deep the culture of sport runs in the veins of this city and its hugely diverse population.

Title image: A sell-out crowd watches on at Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park; © Courtney Garner