England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales will jointly host the upcoming European Football Championship, but it’s uncertain if all of them will participate in Euro 2028.

The UEFA Executive Committee made an announcement prior to the Europa League final in Bilbao, stating that the host nations must navigate the qualifiers, albeit with some exceptions; two spots in the championship are reserved if they fail to qualify.

In past editions of the European Championships, hosts were automatically granted tournament spots, with the exception of the 2020 edition, which took place across 11 cities in Europe.

The four hosts of Euro 2028 will each be placed in separate qualifying groups, with the 12 group winners and the eight best runners-up (a total of 20 teams) qualifying directly for the 24-team final tournament.

“Two spots in the final tournament will be reserved for the two best-ranked home teams that do not qualify as group winners or best runners-up following the qualifying group stage,” Uefa stated, as reported by Reuters.

The remaining spots in the continental championship will be determined through a play-off involving the remaining runners-up from the qualifying groups and the best-ranked teams from the 2026/27 Nations League that didn’t qualify.

The number of teams from the Nations League that will get a play-off opportunity will depend on whether all Euro 2028 hosts secure qualification through the qualifiers.

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