The sport of blind soccer has been part of the Paralympic Games since 2004, but the U.S. has never represented. This is changing in 2028 when Los Angles hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the U.S., and the American team will receive an automatic entry to the blind soccer competition as the host country.
On Nov. 3, the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes announced 10 athletes chosen for the first-ever USA Blind Soccer Men’s National team, after a four-day selection camp in October in Chula Vista. The team consist of eight athletes with visual impairments along with two sighted goalkeepers.
Out of the eight athletes named to the team, 30-year-old David Brown from Chula Vista is a three-time Paralympian in track and field, winning a gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2016 Rio games. He is also a three-time world champion and world record holder in both the 200 meters and 100 meters where he became the first totally blind athlete to run under 11 seconds.
“In the next six years, the world’s two biggest sporting events will happen on American soil,” said USABA CEO Molly Quinn in a press release. “In 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be played throughout the U.S. for the first time in three decades. In 2028, the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in Los Angeles. It will mark the first time that L.A. has played host to the Paralympic Games.”
