The 2028 UEFA European Championship will be co-hosted by the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland marking the first time in the tournament history that five separate nations have jointly hosted a major international football competition. England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will share the hosting duties and the matches across ten stadiums spanning the British Isles. The tournament retains the established 24-team format that was first introduced at Euro 2016 in France with a total of 51 matches to be played over approximately one month during June and July of 2028. The qualifying competition is scheduled to begin in early 2027 with all 54 UEFA member nations competing for the 23 available spots alongside the five host nations all of whom receive automatic qualification to the final tournament.
This arrangement giving all five co-hosts automatic entry has drawn some criticism from nations that must navigate the difficult qualifying path but UEFA has defended the decision as necessary given the unprecedented five-nation hosting model. The venues selected for the tournament span the full geographic breadth of the British Isles. Wembley Stadium in London with its 90000-seat capacity will host both the opening match and the grand final reprising its prominent role from the unique pan-European Euro 2020 tournament. Hampden Park in Glasgow will represent Scotland while the Principality Stadium in Cardiff provides Wales with a world-class venue.
The Aviva Stadium in Dublin serves as the Republic of Ireland primary venue and Casement Park in Belfast is undergoing a significant redevelopment specifically for this tournament that will increase its capacity to over 34000. Additional venues include the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London the Etihad Stadium in Manchester St James Park in Newcastle Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh and Croke Park in Dublin which is primarily a Gaelic games venue. Early contenders for the Henri Delaunay Trophy include reigning World Cup champions Spain who enter as the team to beat. France despite a disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign possess arguably the deepest talent pool in world football and a burning desire to reclaim their status.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup and will benefit enormously from home advantage throughout the tournament. Germany are rebuilding after a group-stage exit in 2026 but have the football infrastructure and young talent pipeline to mount a serious challenge. The qualifying draw is expected in late 2026 with groups to be contested across 2027 and early 2028. Source: UEFA.com The Athletic BBC Sport The tournament structure is divided into six groups of four teams in the group stage with the top two from each group plus the four best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 16.
This format ensures that the group stage remains competitive until the final matchday and has historically produced dramatic moments such as Portugal surprise run to the title in 2016 after qualifying as a third-placed team. From the knockout rounds onward the tournament follows a straightforward single-elimination bracket through to the final at Wembley Stadium.