Euro 2028 Schedule Confirmed as UK and Ireland Prepare to Host Historic Tournament
The full schedule for UEFA Euro 2028 has officially been confirmed, with the tournament set to take place across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland from 9 June to 9 July 2028.
The competition will feature 24 nations competing across nine stadiums, culminating in the final at Wembley Stadium in London.
Spain head into the tournament as the reigning European champions following their victory over England in the Euro 2024 final.
Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland Learn Potential Routes
Unlike previous European Championships, the host nations will not receive automatic qualification.
Instead, England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland must qualify through the normal qualification process. However, two reserved places have been set aside for the highest-ranked host nations that fail to qualify automatically.
If all four nations qualify through the qualifying campaign, all reserved places will instead be allocated through the play-off system.
Should they qualify, each host nation will play all three of their group matches on home soil.
- Scotland would play all three group games at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
- England would begin their campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, before playing their remaining group matches at Wembley.
- Wales are set to play at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and could feature in the tournament’s opening match.
- The Republic of Ireland would host all group games at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
Wembley to Host Final
Wembley Stadium will once again stage the European Championship final on 9 July 2028, while also hosting both semi-finals and two quarter-finals.
The distribution of matches across the nine venues is:
- Wembley Stadium (London) – 8 matches
- Aviva Stadium (Dublin) – 7 matches
- Hampden Park (Glasgow) – 6 matches
- Principality Stadium (Cardiff) – 6 matches
- Etihad Stadium (Manchester) – 5 matches
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) – 5 matches
- Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool) – 5 matches
- St James’ Park (Newcastle) – 5 matches
- Villa Park (Birmingham) – 4 matches
More than three million tickets are expected to be made available, making Euro 2028 the biggest European Championship ever held.
Scotland’s Potential Route
If Scotland qualify and are placed in their designated host position (Group F), Steve Clarke’s side would open the tournament at Hampden Park before playing all three group fixtures in Glasgow.
Should Scotland top their group, they would also play their Round of 16 tie at Hampden before a potential quarter-final later in the competition.
Qualification Explained
The qualification system ensures every host nation still has to earn its place.
Two reserved qualification spots are available only if required by host nations that fail to qualify automatically.
Depending on how many of those reserved places are used, the play-off format will change:
- Two reserved host places used: Eight teams compete for two tournament places.
- One reserved host place used: Twelve teams compete for three tournament places.
- No reserved host places used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties.
Northern Ireland No Longer Hosting
Northern Ireland will no longer host matches at Euro 2028 after the UK Government decided not to fund the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast.
Plans to rebuild the stadium were abandoned after projected costs rose beyond £400 million, with the government stating there was a significant risk the project would not be completed in time for the tournament.
Despite losing host status, Belfast will still play a role by hosting the Euro 2028 qualifying draw in December 2027.
Tournament Dates
- Group Stage: 9–21 June 2028
- Round of 16: 24–27 June
- Quarter-finals: 30 June–1 July
- Semi-finals: 4–5 July
- Final: 9 July at Wembley Stadium
With iconic venues across the UK and Ireland set to welcome Europe’s biggest football nations, Euro 2028 promises to be one of the largest and most memorable editions of the tournament ever staged.