The blueprint for Euro 2028 is locked in. UEFA has confirmed the tournament will unfold across four nations—EnglandTeam·England, Scotland, WalesTeam·Wales, and the Republic of IrelandTeam·Republic of Ireland—from June 9 to July 9, 2028, marking the first time the European Championship ventures into this geographic footprint.
Nine stadiums in eight cities will host 51 matches involving 24 teams. The opening fixture kicks off at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 9, with the final staged at Wembley on July 9. The semi-finals precede it on July 4 and 5, also at Wembley.
The venue distribution reflects a deliberate spread across the host nations. EnglandTeam·England provides six stadiums: Wembley and Tottenham HotspurTeam·Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Manchester City Stadium, EvertonTeam·Everton Stadium in Liverpool, St James' Park in Newcastle, and Villa Park in Birmingham. Scotland hosts Hampden Park in Glasgow, WalesTeam·Wales uses Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and the Republic of IrelandTeam·Republic of Ireland stages matches at Dublin Arena.
The tournament structure mirrors the format established at Euro 2016. Twenty-four teams split into six groups of four, with the top two finishers from each group advancing to the round of 16 alongside the four best third-placed sides. From there, it's straight knockout football—no third-place playoff.
Group stage action runs June 9–21, followed by the round of 16 (June 24–27), quarter-finals (June 30–July 1), semi-finals (July 4–5), and the final on July 9. Three consistent kickoff times—15:00, 18:00, and 21:00 CEST—will structure matchdays, with the final set for 18:00 CEST (17:00 local time).
A critical detail: no host nation receives automatic qualification. All four—EnglandTeam·England, Scotland, WalesTeam·Wales, and the Republic of IrelandTeam·Republic of Ireland—must compete in qualifying rounds. Two automatic spots are reserved for the best-ranked hosts who fail to qualify through sporting merit, ensuring at least two host nations participate. If all four qualify on merit, all four compete. The qualifying draw takes place in Belfast on December 6, 2026.
Round of 16 matches will be distributed across eight of the nine stadiums, with Wembley reserved for the knockout stages. Quarter-finals split across Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, and Wembley to ensure sporting fairness—round of 16 winners play their quarter-final in a different venue.
This multi-nation setup represents uncharted territory for the men's European Championship. WalesTeam·Wales and the Republic of IrelandTeam·Republic of Ireland will host a Euros for the first time, while EnglandTeam·England and Scotland return to the continental stage. The logistics of coordinating across four nations, managing travel for fans and teams, and distributing matches equitably across nine venues present a complex operational challenge—but UEFA has structured the schedule to minimize disruption and maximize local engagement.
The tournament promises to be the biggest-ever European Championship, with more than three million tickets on sale. Qualification begins in earnest after the December 2026 draw, setting the stage for a two-year buildup to what will be a genuinely historic edition of the Euros.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin with the Euro 2028 pennant in Nyon. Credit: PA Images/IMAGO
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