The 2028 UEFA European Championship will be spread across four different nations for the first time as Spain aim to defend their title.
With the World Cup not far away, it should be an automatic reminder that the next Euros is in two years.
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The tournament will be returning back to a European time slot in a historic multi-nation host format.
While the previous Euros took place solely in Germany, the 2028 edition will be hosted jointly by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Spain will be hoping to defend their title after beating England 2-1 in the 2024 final in Berlin.
With the qualifying draw approaching in December 2026, here is everything you need to know about Euro 2028.
Euro 2028: Dates
The championship will get underway on Friday, June 9, 2028 with the final taking place Sunday, July 9, 2028.
UEFA have created a schedule around ‘fan fairness’ aiming to limit travel between matches for supporters and squads.
The competition will be held across 31 days of matches with three primary kick-off times at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm.
The tournament will feature a total of 51 matches.
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Euro 2028: Location
Following a similar spectacle to the World Cup, this edition of the Euros will be hosted by five different football associations across four countries – England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland was originally meant to be part of the host group, but the redevelopment delays at Casement Park meant it was not included in the final list.
Matches will be staged across nine stadiums in eight host cities and due to unusual high amount of host nations, this means none are guaranteed automatic qualification at this stage.
All must compete in the qualifying group stages.
The stadium list features iconic grounds and brand-new facilities, including Everton‘s new waterfront home and the renovated Villa Park.
Wembley Stadium is confirmed to host eight fixtures, including both semi-finals and the final on July 9.
The opening match will take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Euro 2028: Stadiums
- Wembley Stadium, London – Capacity: 90,000
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London – Capacity: 62,850
- Etihad Stadium, Manchester – Capacity: 61,470
- Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool – Capacity: 52, 769
- St James’ Park, Newcastle – Capacity: 52,264
- Villa Park, Birmingham – Capacity: 50,000
- Hampden Park, Glasgow – Capacity: 51,866
- Principality Stadium, Cardiff – Capacity: 73,931
- Republic of Ireland, Dublin – Capacity: 51,711
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Have the UK and Ireland hosted before?
While the collaboration for 2028 is a historic first, some of the home nations are not strangers to hosting a major tournament.
England is the only host in the group to have previously staged a full European Championship on its own.
Euro 96 became a cultural milestone for the country, with the event ending in heartbreak for the hosts in a semi-final penalty shootout against Germany.
Additionally, England hosted the Women’s Euros in 2022, a record-breaking tournament where the Lionesses lifted the trophy at Wembley in front of 87,000 fans.
During Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the pandemic, there were 11 nations hosting the action across the continent.
Eight games were featured at Wembley including both semi-finals and the final where Italy defeated England on penalties.
In addition, Hampden Park hosted four matches in Scotland.
For Wales and Ireland, Euro 2028 will mark the first time they will host a major international tournament.
While the Principality Stadium in Cardiff has hosted Champions League finals and FA Cup finals, 2028 will be its debut on the European Championship stage.
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Euro 2028: Schedule
Group stages: June 9 / 21
Round of 16: June 24 / 27
Quarter finals: June 30 / July 1
Semi-finals: July 4 / 5
Final: Sunday, July 9 at Wembley Stadium, London
Euro 2028: Qualifying format
Due to UEFA regulations, only two hosts can take up guaranteed automatic qualification.
The organisation decided that all four countries will enter qualifying, with two automatic spots reserved as a ‘safety net’ for nations that fail to qualify traditionally.
If more than two host teams fail to qualify, the spots will be decided based on qualifying ranking.
54 nations will be divided into 12 qualifying groups, with the 12 group winners and eight best runners-up will all qualify directly.
The remaining spots, depending on the host performances, will be decided via play-offs in March 2028.
