Euro 2028: With the FIFA World Cup 2026 nearing the end and the football calendar moving rapidly, attention is already turning to the next major international tournament. While Euro 2028 is nearly two years away now, it promises to be a massive summer of football in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, as it will host the marquee event. Check the full guide about Euros 2028 in this piece.
Euro 2028: Where will Euros 2028 be held and when will it happen?
As mentioned above, the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will host the tournament from June 9, 2028 to July 9, 2028. According to a report by sun.co.uk, these are the venues booked for the tournament:
- Wembley Stadium (London) – Capacity: 90,000
- Principality Stadium (National Stadium of Wales, Cardiff) – Capacity: 73,931
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) – Capacity: 62,850
- Etihad Stadium (Manchester) – Capacity: 61,470
- Hill Dickinson Stadium (Everton Stadium, Liverpool) – Capacity: 52,769
- St James’ Park (Newcastle) – Capacity: 52,264
- Villa Park (Birmingham) – Capacity: 50,000 (following planned expansion)
- Hampden Park (Glasgow) – Capacity: 51,866
- Aviva Stadium (Dublin Arena, Dublin) – Capacity: 51,711
The tournament-opener will take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with Wembley Stadium set to stage the semi-final and final.
Euros 2028: Will the host nations automatically qualify for the tournament?
Since there are multiple hosts, it will be unfair for UEFA to hand out automatic qualification to all of them without altering the tournament’s balance. Although UEFA has placed two automatic spots in reserve, England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland must participate in the European Qualifiers. If any of the hosts fails to secure automatic qualification on merit, the two teams with the highest qualifying ranking will take the backup spots.
Hence, even in the worst-case scenario, the two highest-ranked sides are guaranteed spots. The qualifying group-stage matches gets underway in March 2027 and will continue till November 2027. It will follow the high-stakes play-offs in March 2028 to determine the last remaining spots. The official group-stage draw is set to be unveiled December 6, Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland stepping away from the hosting duties means they have lost out on the safety-net privilege. As a result, they must qualify through the standard European Qualifier route. Spain had won Euro 2024 after beating England 2-1 in the final.
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