Despite being hosts of EURO 2028, England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland are not guaranteed qualification to the competition finals.
Confirmed at a UEFA Executive Meeting on May 21, the host nations of EURO 2028 will have to qualify via the qualification phase which will take place 2026-2027, consisting of 12 groups of four or five teams.
The 12 group winners and runner-ups will automatically qualify for EURO 2028, but there is still a chance for the host nations to automatically qualify for the competition. This will see the two best performing host nations qualify if they do not win their respective group or place runner-up.
For Northern Ireland, they will not be a host country and therefore will not be able to qualify even if they are two of the best performing UK nations. This is due to Casement Park’s redevelopment being halted and will not be ready in time for EURO 2028.
There will be up to nine host stadiums for EURO 2028; six in England, one in Scotland, one in Wales, and one in the Republic of Ireland, which includes Wembley Stadium in London, Hampden Park in Glasgow, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Why the removal?
The decision made by UEFA to not allow outright qualification for a European Championship may come as a surprise to many as it goes against traditional norms. UEFA have yet to comment as to why this decision was taken.
Despite this, English FA Chairman Mark Bullingham revealed the governing body opted to take part in qualification, as opposed to automatic qualification, believing it is “the right thing to do” in a bid to keep the national team competitive.
He told Sky Sports: “From our point of view, it’s great to be taking part in qualifying and we want to get everyone there.
“It is better to play in a tournament where it matters and we have competitive games. We’re looking forward to that.
“It’s always been part of our discussions with the other countries and UEFA that we would take part in qualifying. We think, with the new format of European football, that’s the right thing to do.”
The UK and Ireland gained hosting rights for EURO 2028 in October 2023 after beating out the likes of Russia and Turkey. Turkey however, will host EURO 2032 alongside Italy in a successful joint bid.
It will become the third time the UK has hosted a European Championship, having previously held the competition in 1996 and as part of a pan-European competition in 2021 where Wembley Stadium hosted the semi-final and final.
