Soccer

Ireland not guaranteed Euro 2028 spot as co-hosts if they fail to qualify automatically

Uefa holding only two spots for the four co-host countries

Ireland will not be guaranteed a place at Euro 2028 as co-hosts if they fail to guarantee automatically. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Ireland will not be guaranteed a place at Euro 2028 as co-hosts if they fail to guarantee automatically. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Wed May 21 2025 - 13:48

Ireland will not be guaranteed a place at the 2028 European Championships if they fail to qualify automatically, with Uefa holding only two spots for the four co-host countries.

However, this applies to countries that do not qualify automatically, so if two of England, Wales and Scotland reach the tournament through qualifiers, then Ireland will play in Euro 2028.

The decision was taken by the Uefa Executive Committee which met in Bilbao ahead of Wednesday’s Europa League Final.

Ireland, along with co-hosts England, Scotland and Wales will be drawn into separate groups, with 12 group winners and eight best runners-up (20 teams) advancing directly to the final tournament. A total of 24 teams will take part in the tournament.

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“Two spots in the final tournament will be reserved for the two best ranked host nations who are not qualified as group winners or best runners-up after the completion of the qualifying group stage,” Uefa said in a statement.

The remaining spots will be assigned via playoffs between the remaining runners-up in the qualifying groups and the best ranked 2026-27 Uefa Nations League non-qualified group winners, the statement said.

“Depending on the number of spots used by the host nations, the number of final tournament spots decided by playoffs may vary between two and four.”

Ireland are presently the lowest ranked of the four host countries at 60th in the Fifa list, with England fourth, Wales 29th and Scotland 44th.

England, beaten finalists in the last two editions, had asked to be part of the qualification process in order to maintain a competitive edge heading into the finals.

Scotland made it to the European stage in 2020 and 2024, with Wales qualifying in 2016 and 2020 and the Republic of Ireland getting there in 2012 and 2016.

Northern Ireland, who also played at Euro 2016, were initially part of the five-nation bid, but the country will not host any games after the withdrawal of Belfast’s Casement Park from the list of venues.