UEFA has confirmed the Euro 2028 qualifying draw will be held in Belfast on Sunday 6 December 2026. The draw will determine each team's route to the tournament. The ceremony will take place at Belfast's International Convention Centre.

The draw will create 12 qualifying groups, each containing four or five teams playing home and away. The qualifying group stage will run from March to November 2027.

Northern Ireland will not host Euro 2028 matches after Casement Park was removed from the tournament plans, meaning England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales are the four final-tournament host associations. Belfast will still play a central role in the tournament preparations.

UEFA said holding the qualifying draw in Belfast demonstrates that Northern Ireland is a ‘valuable partner’ in the tournament.

Irish FA president Conrad Kirkwood said: "The road to UEFA EURO 2028 starts right here in Belfast."

The Irish FA has said the draw will be broadcast live and is expected to bring national team coaches, association officials and UEFA leadership to the city.

How Will Euro 2028 Qualifying Work? Groups, Direct Places and Play-Offs

The format makes finishing first or among the highest-ranked runners-up important. The 12 group winners will qualify directly, along with the eight best runners-up. That will fill 20 of the 24 places at the finals before the play-offs are held.

A second-place finish does not guarantee qualification. It must rank among the eight best runners-up across all 12 groups. The teams drawn into each group will therefore determine the level of competition each side faces.

The remaining qualifying places will be decided in the March 2028 play-offs. The play-offs will bring together the remaining qualifying-group runners-up and the best-ranked 2026/27 UEFA Nations League group winners who have not already qualified for the finals or the play-offs.

UEFA has confirmed that between two and four places will be decided through the play-offs, depending on how many reserved host places are used. UEFA's published qualification format does not specify the final number of participating associations in this announcement, while Russia remains suspended from UEFA competitions.

How England, Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland Can Qualify for Euro 2028

England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will participate in qualifying despite being the four final-tournament host associations. UEFA's Executive Committee ruled in May 2025 that all four hosts must enter qualifying and will be drawn into separate groups.

The four host associations are drawn into separate groups, while Northern Ireland is also drawn into a separate group. Reuters noted at the time that hosts have qualified automatically at recent European Championships, with Euro 2020 being the exception.

The December draw will therefore determine the qualifying groups for all four host nations. UEFA has reserved two final-tournament places for the two highest-ranked host associations that do not qualify directly through the qualifying group stage.

The reserved places ensure that up to two host associations can still reach the finals if they do not qualify directly, while the tournament remains a 24-team competition.

The number of reserved places used determines the play-off format:

  • Both used: Eight teams contest two paths of single-leg semi-finals and finals.
  • One used: 12 teams contest three paths, each containing single-leg semi-finals and a final.
  • None used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties.

The reserved places apply only to England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. If any of those four hosts fail to qualify directly, the two best-ranked among them can use the reserved places.

Northern Ireland is not one of the four host associations covered by the reserved places and must qualify through the normal qualification routes.

How the Nations League Links to Euro 2028 Qualifying

The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League provides an additional route into the Euro 2028 play-offs. Its league phase will be played over six rounds, with four taking place between 24 September and 6 October and the final two from 12 to 17 November.

The league phase will finish shortly before the qualifying draw. The Nations League quarter-finals and promotion and relegation play-offs will follow in March 2027, with the finals in June.

The Nations League and European Qualifiers remain separate competitions, with the Nations League providing a limited additional route into the Euro 2028 play-offs.

The Nations League affects Euro 2028 qualification only through the play-offs, where the best-ranked group winners who have not qualified through the main qualifying groups can get another route to the finals.

UEFA has not yet announced the start time for the qualifying draw or the fixture dates for the individual qualifying groups.

UEFA Euro 2028 will run from 9 June to 9 July 2028, with the opening match at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff.

Wembley will host the final and both semi-finals.

Nine stadiums across eight cities will host matches. Twenty-four teams will play in six groups, with the top two and the four best third-placed sides reaching the round of 16.

UEFA has confirmed three kick-off times for the tournament — 15:00, 18:00 and 21:00 CEST — with the specific matchday schedules to be confirmed after the final tournament draw in 2027.