Mexico to host Olympic softball qualifier for the Americas

Mexico will host the tournament that hands the Americas a direct berth in women's softball at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. It runs Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 2027, under an agreement signed Oct. 9 by the WBSC, the world governing body for baseball and softball, and Conade, Mexico's national sports commission.

WBSC president Riccardo Fraccari and Conade director Rommel Pacheco signed the deal at the federation's headquarters in Pully, Switzerland. Neither offered comments in the announcement.

Six national teams will play. Mexico is in as host; the other five are not yet set. Sept. 5 is held open as a rain day.

The city and stadium have not been named, and the competition format is still to come.

The winner goes straight to Los Angeles. The United States already has its place as host of the Games, so the Americas champion will be the region's second team.

Mexico's women last went through this route in 2019, when they won the qualifier in Surrey, Canada, and earned a ticket to Tokyo 2020. This time they will play at home.

Teams that finish second and third are not eliminated. They move on to the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, which decides the last Olympic place and must be played by March 2028.

The two other continental qualifiers are Asia and Oceania, Sept. 10 to 15, 2027, in Shaoxing, China, and Europe and Africa, Sept. 28 to Oct. 3 in Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain.