England to reject Euro 2028 automatic qualification as host nations make call

10 October 2023 , 08:13

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England to reject Euro 2028 automatic qualification as host nations make call

England have told UEFA they do not want to be handed an automatic place at Euro 2028 despite being confirmed as the main hosts of the tournament.

Overall, 28 of the 51 scheduled games will take place in the country, shared between Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad, Villa Park, St James' Park and Everton's proposed new ground at Bramley Moore Dock. The national stadium itself will host both semi-finals and the final, as it did in the delayed Euro 2020 event.

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will stage the remaining games, with the Principality Stadium in Cardiff holding the opening game of the tournament. That will be one of six matches in Wales, with Hampden Park and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium also hosting six games and Casement Park in Belfast given five.

But none of the five host nations will be guaranteed a place at their own party unless they come through the qualification process first. FA chiefs are reportedly concerned by the current plight of Euro 2024 hosts with Germany, whose form has plummeted amid a series of friendly matches.

With all other major European sides set to be tied up in their own qualifying ambitions, it would also be a struggle for England to find regular meaningful opposition. And that has prompted concerns that the side would go into the tournament under-prepared.

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Tellingly, all five nations involved are in agreement to go into the qualifying draw, which is set to take place in 2026. However, according to the Sun, two places are set to be left aside as a contingency plan for host nations who do not make it automatically.

Luke Shaw celebrates his goal at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley (The FA via Getty Images)

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That means were at least three of the countries involved to get through their groups, then all five sides from the UK and Ireland would be guaranteed to be there. And Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson was quoted as saying: “It’s a sensible approach and it keeps everyone sharp.”

The UK and Ireland were initially rivalled by Turkey to host Euro 2028. However, the latter bid was then withdrawn, with the southeast European country instead opting to focus on a join Euro 2032 bid with Italy.

England solely hosted the tournament in Euro 96, when it compromised of only 16 teams and 31 matches. Euro 2020, ultimately held in 2021 due to Covid-19, was also set to use Dublin's Aviva Stadium but that plan was shelled amid a change of schedule.

Fraser Watson