The IOC said the reason for the sharp increase in women's soccer teams was the rapidly growing popularity of women's team sports, especially in the United States, and that change in the competition format reflected that rapid growth.

Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA 2028 organizing committee, met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Wednesday and provided full backing despite some critics calling for the Olympics to be moved.

So far, none of the more than 80 venues due to stage Olympic competition in Los Angeles have been directly affected by the infernos that have left at least 24 people dead and reduced entire neighborhoods to smouldering ruins.

Cricket will be making its first-ever appearance at the Summer Games in over a century at Los Angeles 2028.

But all the new sports will still need to be voted in by the IOC membership in a ballot due to be held on Monday before they are assured of a place at the 2028 Games.

Twenty-eight sports are already confirmed on the schedule but cricket was one of five new sports formally proposed for inclusion by organisers for the Games on Monday.