Euro 2028: Cardiff to host tournament opener, Wembley Stadium gets semifinals and final

LONDON (AP) — The opening game of the 2028 European Championship will be staged in Cardiff at the National Stadium of Wales, organizers confirmed Wednesday.

The next edition of the Euros will be co-hosted by Britain and Ireland, with both semifinals and the final to be played at Wembley Stadium in London.

Details were confirmed at an official tournament launch Wednesday, which included branding for the event.

England was a co-host of the 2020 Euros, which was delayed by a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also hosted in 1996.

The 2028 edition is expanded across the UK and Ireland and includes eight host cities.

The draw for qualifying will be held in Belfast in December 2027.

“This tournament will bring fans from across Europe to iconic footballing cities like Birmingham and Glasgow, inspire the next generation to lace up their boots, and deliver billions in economic benefits,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

When is Euro 2028?

The tournament is scheduled to kick off June 9, 2028 at the National Stadium of Wales. The final will be on July 9 at Wembley.

Which cities will host games?

Birmingham: Villa Park

Cardiff: National Stadium of Wales

Dublin: Dublin Arena

Glasgow: Hampden Park

Liverpool: Everton Stadium

London: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

London: Wembley Stadium

Manchester: Manchester City Stadium

Newcastle: St James’ Park

The semifinals and the final will be held at Wembley.

The quarterfinals will be played at Dublin Arena, Hampden Park, National Stadium of Wales and Wembley.

The round of 16 will have one match at each host stadium except Wembley.

Tournament format

Twenty-four teams will play a total of 51 matches over 31 days.

The planned format is for the top two teams from six mini-groups to advance to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed teams.

The round of 16 to the final is a straight knockout tournament.

Home advantage

The co-hosts will participate in Euro 2028 qualifying, with two places reserved for the best-ranked of those teams that fail to qualify directly.

If England qualifies directly, its opening group game will be in Manchester, with the following two at Wembley.

If Scotland, Wales and Ireland qualify directly, their group games will also be in front of their home fans.

Tickets

More than three million match tickets will be available for fans but UEFA did not reveal purchasing details.

Who is the defending champion?

Spain won Euro 2024 by beating England in the final.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer