Euro 2028 qualifying format revealed: Hosts England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales compete for places

File photo of the European Championships trophy.
UEFA announced Wednesday that
Euro 2028 host nations
England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales will participate in the qualifying rounds for the tournament, with two spots reserved for host nations who fail to qualify through the standard process.
The European football governing body outlined the qualification format for the 24-team tournament during an executive committee meeting in Bilbao.
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"(The) hosts... will also participate in qualifying, drawn into separate groups," UEFA stated.
The governing body further detailed the qualification process: "The 12 group winners and eight best runners-up (20 teams) will advance directly to the
EURO 2028
final tournament.
Two spots in the final tournament will be reserved for the two best-ranked host nations who are not qualified as group winners or best runners-up after the completion of the qualifying group stage."
The remaining tournament spots will be determined through play-offs between qualifying group runners-up and the highest-ranked 2026-27 Nations League non-qualified group winners.
The number of play-off spots available will depend on whether host nations qualify directly through groups or via reserved qualifying slots.
This format differs from Euro 2024, where hosts Germany received automatic qualification for the tournament, which Spain won by defeating England in Berlin.
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