UEFA approves Euro 2028 qualifying format. What happens with the tournament hosts?
The upcoming 2028 European Football Championship is set to be unique, as it will be hosted by four federations at once: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Due to this unprecedented number of host nations, the qualifying tournament format has undergone several changes.
The UEFA Executive Committee in Bilbao has approved a qualifying format in which, unlike Euro 2020, none of the host nations receive a direct berth. However, two spots are reserved for the highest-ranked host teams that fail to qualify through the regular process.
This will impact the playoff format, which will serve as the second round of qualification.
- Both host spots used: Eight teams compete in two paths for two final tournament places, with single-leg semifinals and finals.
- One host spot used: Twelve teams vie for three places in the finals, with single-leg semifinals and finals.
- No host spots used: Eight teams contest four playoff spots, with the winners advancing to the finals.
In general, the qualifying tournament will resemble the format used for the 2024 World Cup qualifiers. All countries are divided into 12 groups of four or five teams each (with hosts separated into different groups). The group winners and the eight best runners-up will qualify directly for Euro 2028.
The format of the playoffs, as outlined above, may change depending on how many host nations qualify for the final tournament through the main qualifying stage. The full qualifying schedule will be announced this autumn.
Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
