UEFA Euro 2028: Everything you need to know about hosts, dates, qualifiers & more | OneFootball

UEFA EURO 2028 is set to bring the tournament back to the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, with England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales preparing to host Europe’s most prestigious international competition.

From venues and dates to qualifying rules, format changes and the defending champions, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament.

Meet the hosts

England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales secured the right to host Euro 2028 after winning UEFA’s vote on 10 October 2023.

Matches will take place at nine venues, including the iconic Wembley Stadium in London. The famous arena will become the first stadium to host three European Championship finals and will also stage both semi-final fixtures.

Apart from Wembley, Glasgow’s Hampden Park, Dublin Arena and the National Stadium of Wales are among the tournament’s headline venues.

While Manchester United’s Old Trafford failed to meet UEFA’s high standard, Everton’s brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park and Villa Park all made the final cut.

Fans and the general public are expected to have around three million tickets available, making it one of the largest ticket allocations in Euros history.

Dates, kick-off time, opening games & final

The 2028 edition will kick off on June 9 and run until July 9, 2028, with the curtain-raising fixture set to take place at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff.

As mentioned above, Wembley will host the title-deciding contest as well as both semi-final ties.

UEFA has confirmed three standard kick-off slots for the tournament, with matches scheduled to start at 14:00 (BST), 17:00 and 20:00.

The final will kick off at 17:00, while UEFA will confirm the full match schedule following the final tournament draw in 2027.

How will the 2028 tournament work?

The tournament will retain the same format as every edition since Euro 2024, wth 24 teams entering the group stage.

The top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the round of 16 alongside the four best third-placed finishers.

From there on, the tournament follows a straight knockout format.

Since the path to the final remains pre-determined, participating nations can anticipate their potential routes to Wembley.

Euro 2028 qualifying

UEFA has introduced a revamped qualifying format for the 2028 tournament, with teams drawn in 12 groups of four or five nations. Each team will face every opponent home and away, with the qualifying cycle running from March to November 2027.

Group winners will secure automatic qualification, while runners-up will either qualify directly or meet UEFA Nations League opposition in the play-offs that will take place in March 2028.

Belfast will stage the Euro 2028 qualifying draw on December 6, 2026.

Who are the defending champions?

In addition to their recent World Cup triumph, Spain were crowned Euro 2024 winners in Germany, meaning they head into the 2028 tournament as the reigning champions.

The Iberian giants remain the only team in Euros history to defend the title. They achieved this remarkable feat in 2012.

Spain’s victory over England in Berlin two years ago marked a record-breaking fourth European Championship title, cementing their status as the competition’s most successful nation as well as a football superpower in the modern era.

Veteran coach Luis de la Fuente, who led La Furia Roja to continental glory in 2024, boasts an undefeated record at major tournaments after helping his country win its second World Cup title in the United States.

What’s Next?

UEFA Euro 2032, the 19th European Championships, will be jointly hosted by Italy and Turkey in the summer of 2032, featuring 24 national teams in 51 matches.

Euro 2032 had originally been planned to be hosted across 10 cities (five in each country), but Italy has come under a lot of criticism for delays in upgrading infrastructure. Many of Italy’s candidate stadiums (including historic venues in Rome, Milan, and Naples) require massive overhauls or new construction to meet UEFA standards.

The official host of UEFA Euro 2036 has not yet been decided or awarded by UEFA, but the candidates include Poland, France, and joint bids by the Nordic and Baltic states, respectively.