The 2028 European Championship is set to kick off in Cardiff on June 9, with the grand finale scheduled for London's iconic Wembley Stadium on July 9. The tournament organizer, UEFA, made this announcement recently.
UEFA has confirmed that the National Stadium of Wales will stage the first match of Euro 2028. Meanwhile, London's Wembley Stadium will host both semifinals and the final on July 9. This event marks UK and Ireland's most significant football event in over a decade.
The upcoming edition will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The tournament features:
- A total of 51 matches
- Participation from 24 national teams
- Matches spread across nine venues situated in eight cities.
Apart from Cardiff and London hosting key matches, games are also scheduled for Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool Manchester and Newcastle. One quarterfinal match will take place at Wembley while Dublin Glasgow and Cardiff host the remaining last-eight ties.
Enhancing fan experience & accessibility
UEFA launched Euro 2028 with fresh branding along with a schedule designed to enhance fan experience as well as accessibility. The qualifying draw is set to occur in Belfast come December 2027 - an act that underscores this event’s pan-regional character.
UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin, said:
"At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football—loud, clear and united," he said, adding that the host nations "are eager to welcome millions of fans into legendary stadiums" and that the new match timings aim to "maximise the fan experience."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the potential impact of this tournament stating it would bring supporters to "iconic footballing cities like Birmingham and Glasgow," inspire young players while generating billions in economic activity.
List of host venues
The list includes Villa Park (Birmingham), National Stadium (Wales), Dublin Arena (Dublin), Hampden Park (Glasgow), Everton Stadium (Liverpool), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium (London), Manchester City Stadium (Manchester) and St James' Park (Newcastle). Every stadium, except Wembley, will stage matches in the round of 16. Host nations that qualify directly will play their group games at home.
The tournament format remains unchanged with the top two teams from each of the six groups along with the four best third-placed sides progressing to the round of 16. This is followed by a straight knockout path leading up to the final. UEFA plans to release more than three million tickets as part of its initiative to make Euro 2028 widely accessible. The governing body has also set new kick-off times—14:00, 17:00, and 20:00 GMT—to improve scheduling convenience for supporters.
UEFA confirmed that England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales would participate in qualifiers for Euro 2028. Two host-nation slots are reserved for these co-hosts should they not qualify automatically. The qualifiers draw is scheduled to take place in Belfast on December 6, 2026.
