The dust has barely settled on World Cup 2026 but one thing's for sure: it'll be Euro 2028 before you know it.
Spain will head into the next Euros as both continental and world champions as they look to retain the trophy they won in Germany two years ago, when they beat England 2-1 in the final in Berlin.
Euro 2028 will have multiple hosts, with England, Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland sharing the responsibility after their joint bid went through unopposed.
Which venues will host Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland?
Nine stadiums scattered around England, Wales, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland will host matches at Euro 2028.
Casement Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was initially included in the bid but it was withdrawn after the UK government announced in September 2024 that it would not provide funding for its redevelopment in time for the tournament.
The nine remaining grounds are as follows:
England
- Wembley
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- The Etihad Stadium (officially known as the City of Manchester Stadium for the tournament)
- Hill Dickinson Stadium (officially known as Everton Stadium for the tournament)
- Villa Park
- St James' Park (the one in Newcastle, not Exeter, Brackley or Ardfield)
Republic of Ireland
- Aviva Stadium (officially known as Dublin Arena for the tournament)
Scotland
- Hampden Park
Wales
- The Principality Stadium (officially known as the National Stadium of Wales for the tournament)
Which stadiums will host which games?
The opening game of the tournament will be a Group A match at the National Stadium of Wales on Friday, June 9, 2028. This will involve Wales, if they qualify (more on that later).
UEFA have also confirmed that each venue will host fixtures from a minimum of two different groups to ensure several different teams play in each city, while Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland would play all three group games in their home country as well as a last-16 tie, if they top their group.
In the knockout stage, every stadium except Wembley will host a last 16 tie, but the home of English football gets one of the quarter-finals with the other three fixtures taking place in Cardiff, Dublin and Glasgow.
Wembley will then host both semi-finals, on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 July, and the final on Sunday, July 9.
Unsurprisingly, Wembley has more games than any other stadium, with eight in total. England would play every fixture there if they qualify, other than the opening game - at the City of Manchester Stadium - and last-16 tie, which would be at St James' Park.
The Dublin Stadium will host seven matches, while there will be six at both Hampden Park and the National Stadium of Wales.
The remaining games are split across the other English venues, with the City of Manchester Stadium, Everton Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and St James' Park each getting five fixtures, and Villa Park hosting four.
Do all four host countries automatically qualify for Euro 2028?
That was a bit of a contentious issue, because with the exception of Euro 2020, where the tournament was scattered across 11 countries, we've never had a European Championship with more than two hosts.
In the end, UEFA decided that none of the four host nations will be handed automatic qualification - with the compromise that they would play all their group games plus a last-16 tie in their home country.
Who else bid for Euro 2028?
Alongside the UK and Ireland bid, UEFA received separate applications from Russia and Turkey. However, Russia were deemed ineligible to host because they are currently barred from UEFA competition following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Turkey pulled out shortly before the deadline, preferring to focus on bidding to co-host Euro 2032 with Italy. That left the UK and Ireland as the only offer on the table. Unsurprisingly, the application was unanimously voted as the winner.
When will Euro 2028 be held and how many teams will compete?
UEFA has confirmed that Euro 2028 will kick-off on Friday, June 9, 2028 and culminate on Sunday, July 9.
The qualifying group stage will kick off in March 2027 and finish in November 2027, with play-offs in March 2028.
The competition will follow the same 24-team format as the past three Euros. The top two countries in each of the six groups will progress to the last 16, plus the four best third-place sides.
Is it normal for more than one country to co-host the Euros?
Yes, but – again, Euro 2020 aside – not as many as four.
Belgium and the Netherlands were the first co-hosts, staging the competition at Euro 2000. That was followed by Austria and Switzerland sharing the duties in 2008, and Poland and Ukraine teaming up in 2012.
