Uefa rule means that at least two co-hosts will make it, even in a nighmare scenario that they all lose every qualification match
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England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland will all co-host the next men’s major football tournament, Euro 2028, but the four countries will still be required to qualify.
In an unusual break with the tradition of hosts being given automatic qualification, the nations will go through an initial round.
But Uefa does have a caveat to provide some home interest in the event of a nightmare scenario where all four countries do not make it to the next European Championships.
There will be no such privileges for Northern Ireland, however, with original plans for matches in Casement Park stadium in Belfast having been scrapped in 2024.
Here is how qualification for the tournament will work.
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When is Euro 2028?
The tournament will be from June 9 to July 9, 2028.
How many teams will qualify for Euro 2028?
There will be 24 teams and the tournament will have six groups of four, with the first two teams going through and the four best third-place teams.
Thirty of Uefa’s 54 nations will not qualify.
Why do England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland have to qualify?
The football associations of the countries have all elected to take part in the qualification rounds to ensure they will continue to be tested at a high level.
They had feared that two years of only playing friendlies would hinder their progress and leave them less prepared for the tournament.
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When is the qualification? How does qualification work? Who will England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland play?
Qualification will be held between March 25, 2027, and March 28, 2028 – which is when the pay-offs will conclude.
- There will be 12 qualification groups, and all group winners will advance to the championships.
- The eight teams that finish in second place will also advance.
This sorts the initial 20 of the 24 teams that will go through.
The draw has not yet been made for the qualifiers, so the home nations will need to wait to see who they will come up against.
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What if the home nations do not qualify?
A minimum of two home nations will qualify come what may, with UEFA selecting the two best-ranked from the qualification that did not automatically make it.
For example, if England and Scotland qualify automatically, the spots would go to Wales and Ireland. If none of the four teams qualify, the two best-ranked teams will be selected.
If all four nations make it through, there will be a play-off between the best-ranked non-Home Nations countries that did not qualify automatically.
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Which stadiums are hosting Euro 2028 matches?
England
- Wembley Stadium — London (hosts semi-finals and the final)
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London
- Manchester City Stadium (Etihad) — Manchester
- Everton Stadium (Hill Dickinson) — Liverpool
- St James’ Park — Newcastle
- Villa Park — Birmingham
Wales
- National Stadium of Wales / Principality Stadium — Cardiff (hosts the opening match)
Scotland
Republic of Ireland
- Dublin Arena / Aviva Stadium — Dublin
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Why is Northern Ireland not included as a co-host?
Northern Ireland was initially selected with plans for games to be played at Casement Park in Belfast, but the stadium has lost out on required funding worth £400 million to bring it up to scratch.
Lisa Nandy, the sport secretary, said: “The estimated build costs have risen dramatically – from £180m when the Euro 2028 bid was awarded in October 2023 to potentially over £400m – and there is a significant risk that it would not be built in time for the tournament.
“We have therefore, regrettably, decided that it is not appropriate for the UK government to provide funding to seek to build Casement Park in time to host matches at EURO 2028.”
