LOS ANGELES - Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics said on Monday that registration for the first ticket draw will close on Wednesday, as the Games ​begin to take shape with the first baseball qualifiers confirmed and the soccer tournament ‌schedule expanded.

More than five million fans from 197 countries and territories have registered at tickets.la28.org since January for a chance to buy tickets, LA28 said, underscoring strong early demand for the Summer Games, which are due ​to open on July 14, 2028.

Fans who register by the deadline on Wednesday will ​be eligible for a lottery to receive a purchase window for the ⁠first ticket release, scheduled for April 9-19.

There will also be a local presale running from April ​2-6 for eligible residents in parts of Southern California and Oklahoma. Oklahoma City will host softball ​and canoe slalom.

LA28 said selected applicants would be notified by email between March 31 and April 7. Fans picked for the first sale window will be able to buy up to 12 tickets for Olympic events, ​subject to availability, with a four-ticket cap for each of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Baseball returns

The ​ticketing update comes as the first teams booked places in the Olympic baseball tournament through the 2026 World ‌Baseball ⁠Classic. The Dominican Republic and Venezuela secured qualification spots from the Americas, joining host United States in the six-team field.

Baseball, one of the sports added to the LA28 program, will return to the Olympics for the first time since the Tokyo Games and will be played at Dodger ​Stadium from July 13-19. ​The remaining three places ⁠will be decided through international qualifying tournaments in 2027 and 2028.

LA28 also confirmed that the Olympic soccer tournament will begin on July 10, four ​days before the opening ceremony, following a decision by the International ​Olympic Committee Executive ⁠Board to extend the competition window.

Organizers said the longer schedule would give teams two additional rest days compared with previous Games.

READ MORE: LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics

Group-stage and quarter-final matches will be staged in seven US cities - New York, ⁠Columbus, ​Nashville, St. Louis, San Jose, San Diego and Pasadena - with ​the men's and women's gold medal matches to be played at the Rose Bowl.

LA28 said kickoff times and the full ​schedule would be released later this year.