Euro 2028 to Kick Off in Cardiff, Final at Wembley Stadium

Cardiff has been selected to host the opening game of Euro 2028, while London’s Wembley Stadium will stage the semi-finals and final of the 24-team tournament, marking a significant moment for Welsh football.

The tournament will be hosted across nine venues in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, with the official launch taking place in London yesterday. Unfortunately, Belfast’s Casement Park was removed as a host venue due to funding issues. Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, stated, “This will be the first time that ‘The Red Wall’ – our passionate Wales fans – will experience a major international tournament on home soil.” He further added that the event is “a truly historic occasion that will unite communities, inspire future generations and showcase the very best of Welsh football and culture on the world stage.”

Host nations will be required to qualify for the tournament, but will be guaranteed to play their group games at home if they do qualify. The quarter-finals are scheduled for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Glasgow’s Hampden Park, and Wembley – a venue steeped in football history, having previously hosted major tournament matches in 1996 and the delayed 2020 edition. England’s national team could play their opening group game at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, should they qualify directly, before potentially moving to Wembley for later stages. For more information on the qualifying process, see the UEFA website.

A qualifying draw is set to take place in Belfast on December 6, 2026. Debbie Hewitt, chair of UK & Ireland 2028 Limited, promised to deliver the “best ever” European Championship, adding, “It will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the game.” A small protest regarding Israel’s membership in UEFA also occurred outside the launch event. You can find more details about the host cities and stadiums here.