Euro 2028 qualifying: draw, groups, dates and how the hosts qualify
Twenty of the 24 places at Euro 2028 are decided in 12 qualifying groups played between March and November 2027, with the last places settled by play-offs in March 2028. The four hosts — England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland — must qualify like everyone else, with a safety net of two reserved places. The draw is in Belfast on December 6, 2026.
Updated
The qualifying draw
UEFA confirmed in November 2025, and again in a September 17, 2026 announcement, that the qualifying draw will be held at the ICC in Belfast on Sunday December 6, 2026. The 54 eligible associations (Russia remains suspended) are drawn into 12 groups of four or five. Seeding is based on the interim 2026–27 Nations League ranking after the league phase ends in November 2026, and the four hosts are kept in separate groups. A start time has not yet been published, and UEFA has not released the pot composition.
How the groups work
Every team plays the others in its group home and away across five double-header windows in 2027. Direct qualification goes to the 12 group winners and the eight best-ranked runners-up — 20 teams. Two further places are reserved for hosts, and the remaining two to four places are decided by play-offs, the number depending on how many of the reserved host places are needed.
| Matchdays | Window |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | March 26–30, 2027 |
| 3–4 | June 11–15, 2027 |
| 5–6 | September 23–28, 2027 |
| 7–8 | September 29 – October 5, 2027 |
| 9–10 | November 11–16, 2027 |
UEFA's own announcements give the group stage as "March to November 2027" with play-offs in March 2028; the specific matchday dates above are taken from Wikipedia's qualifying page and should be treated as provisional until UEFA publishes the match calendar after the draw.
Do the hosts have to qualify?
Yes. Unlike Euro 2024, where Germany qualified automatically, none of the four Euro 2028 hosts has a guaranteed place. All four enter the qualifying groups, seeded apart from one another. If they finish as group winners or among the eight best runners-up, they qualify on the pitch. If not, two places are reserved for the two best-ranked hosts who missed out, ranked on their qualifying record. Any reserved place that is not needed goes back into the play-off pool.
Northern Ireland are not a host after Casement Park was withdrawn in 2024, so they have no safety net; they enter qualifying on the same terms as every other non-host. Three scenarios follow from the rule, as set out by UEFA and summarised by the Ukrainian FA and Wikipedia:
| Hosts needing a reserved place | Play-off places | Play-off format |
|---|---|---|
| Two | 2 | 8 teams in two paths of one-legged semi-finals and finals |
| One | 3 | 12 teams in three paths of one-legged semi-finals and finals |
| None | 4 | 8 teams in four home-and-away ties |
The play-offs and the Nations League
Play-off entrants are the group runners-up who were not among the eight best, topped up by group winners from the 2026–27 Nations League (Leagues A to D) who did not qualify through their group. The play-offs are played on March 23–28, 2028. This is the same principle used for Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, when the Nations League gave lower-ranked nations such as North Macedonia and Georgia a route to the finals.
The 2026–27 Nations League league phase, which sets the draw seeding, began on September 24–28, 2026. After the first two rounds the hosts have made an uneven start: England lost 3–2 at home to Spain in League A3, Wales lost to Portugal and Denmark in A4, Scotland drew 0–0 in Slovenia in B1, and the Republic of Ireland beat Israel 3–0 after losing in Kosovo in B3. Draw host Northern Ireland are unbeaten in B2 after winning in Georgia and drawing with Hungary. UEFA also confirmed on September 15, 2026 that this is a transition season: League D is abolished from 2028–29, so promotion and relegation between the leagues are amended, and all League D teams move up to League C.
Key dates
| When | What |
|---|---|
| December 6, 2026 | Qualifying draw, ICC Belfast |
| March 26–30, 2027 | Matchdays 1–2 |
| June 11–15, 2027 | Matchdays 3–4 |
| September 23 – October 5, 2027 | Matchdays 5–8 |
| November 11–16, 2027 | Matchdays 9–10; groups complete |
| December 2027 | Final tournament draw (venue not yet confirmed by UEFA) |
| March 23–28, 2028 | Play-offs |
| June 9, 2028 | Opening match, Cardiff |
Euro 2028 qualifying FAQ
Do England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland qualify automatically for Euro 2028?
No. All four hosts play in the qualifying groups. Two places are reserved for the two best-ranked hosts who fail to qualify directly; if more than two miss out, the others go to the play-offs or are eliminated.
When is the Euro 2028 qualifying draw?
Sunday December 6, 2026 at the ICC in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
How many groups are there in Euro 2028 qualifying?
12 groups of four or five teams, played home and away from March to November 2027.
Who qualifies directly for Euro 2028?
The 12 group winners and the eight best runners-up. Two places are reserved for hosts and the remaining two to four go to play-offs in March 2028.
Does Northern Ireland get a host place?
No. Northern Ireland stopped being a host when Casement Park was withdrawn in September 2024, so they must qualify without a safety net.
Related
Details marked TBC had not been confirmed by the organiser when this page was last updated (September 28, 2026).