UEFA Announced qualification system for EURO 2028 competition

UEFA has officially confirmed the qualification system for the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament, which will be co-hosted by England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Unlike previous editions where host nations received automatic qualification, all four co-hosts will participate in the standard qualifying process.

Qualification Format
Group Stage: The qualification phase will consist of 12 groups, each comprising four or five teams. The 12 group winners and the eight best runners-up will automatically qualify for the tournament, accounting for 20 of the 24 available spots.

Host Nations’ Participation: The co-hosts—England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—will be drawn into separate groups to avoid direct competition during the qualifiers.
UEFA.com

Reserved Spots for Hosts: To ensure host nation representation, UEFA has reserved two spots in the final tournament for the two best-performing host nations that fail to qualify through the standard route. If more than two host nations fail to qualify, the two with the best records will be granted entry.

Play-Offs: The remaining spots will be determined through play-offs involving the remaining runners-up and the best-ranked teams from the 2026–27 UEFA Nations League that did not qualify directly. The exact format of the play-offs will depend on how many host nations require the reserved spots.

Tournament Details
Dates: The UEFA Euro 2028 tournament is scheduled to take place from 9 June to 9 July 2028.

Venues: Matches will be held across nine venues in the UK and Ireland, including cities like London, Glasgow, Cardiff, and Dublin.

This qualification system aims to maintain the competitive integrity of the tournament while ensuring that host nations have a fair opportunity to participate in the finals