UEFA has officially approved the qualification system for UEFA EURO 2028, which will take place across nine venues in the UK and Ireland. The tournament will feature 24 national teams.
Just like in previous editions, 12 qualifying groups will be formed, each made up of four or five teams. Host countries England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland will take part in the qualifiers and will be placed in different groups.
The top two teams from each group — the 12 winners and the 8 best runners-up — will qualify directly for the final tournament. Two extra spots are reserved for the best-performing host nations that don’t qualify through their groups.
The final few spots will be decided through play-offs, depending on how many host nations qualify directly. These play-offs will involve group runners-up and the highest-ranked Nations League teams that haven’t qualified yet. Depending on the number of host countries needing a place, the play-offs will fill two, three, or four final tournament spots.6
The full tournament schedule is expected later in 2025, with full regulations released by the end of the year.
Club Benefits Programme
UEFA also confirmed that €244 million will be shared with clubs releasing players for national teams between 2024 and 2028. This includes:
- €104 million for clubs with players in the Nations League and European Qualifiers.
- €140 million for clubs that release players for EURO 2028.
Part of the leftover money from the last cycle will go towards increasing funds for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.
Other Key Decisions:
- Teams playing in the UEFA Nations League Finals in 2025 can now register up to 26 players instead of 23.
- The programme that monitors standing terraces in stadiums will continue in the 2025–26 season, with 10 countries remaining involved, including England, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
- Zoran Laković has been appointed UEFA Deputy General Secretary.
The next UEFA Executive Committee meeting is set for 11 September 2025 in Tirana, Albania.
