Euro 2028: All you need to know – BBC Sport

England have lost their second European Championship final in a row and in four years they will have the chance to try to go one better on home soil as they co-host Euro 2028 with the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

England, who lost the 2021 final to Italy at Wembley, were beaten by Spain in Berlin on Sunday.

So what is the deal with Euro 2028?

The tournament is scheduled to be held from 9 June to 9 July 2028, although the dates could change.

Matches are set to be held at 10 grounds, including London’s Wembley, Glasgow’s Hampden Park, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium and Belfast’s Casement Park.

doubt has been cast on the Belfast Gaelic games stadium, which remains derelict with redevelopment yet to begin.

If funding is not found it is unlikely Northern Ireland will host any games.

The yet-to-be-finished Everton Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park and Villa Park are the other English host grounds.

No decision has been announced on the breakdown of games, but reports suggest Cardiff could host the opening match and Wembley could host the semi-finals and final.

That would mean Wembley hosting the European Championship final in 1996, 2021 and 2028.

Usually the hosts or co-hosts of a European Championship qualify automatically (excluding Euro 2020, which was held across Europe).

But no tournament, bar Euro 2020, has been held in more than two countries – and it is thought Uefa would not give out more automatic spots than two. The British and Irish FAs are still waiting for a ruling.

It is possible that all five nations – England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland – go through qualifying as normal, with a safety net for two teams if they miss out.

Qualifying has a new format, with smaller groups and more of them.

There will be 12 groups of four or five teams, running from March to November 2027.

Group winners will qualify automatically, with runners-up going through automatically or facing play-off matches with teams who qualify via the Uefa Nations League.

Euro 2028 itself will have the same format as 2016, 2020 and 2024.