Euro 2028 schedule, dates and venues as UK and Ireland confirmed to joint host

10 October 2023 , 10:10

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European Championship football will be back at Wembley (Image: Alex Morton - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Football's coming home! Well, sort of.

UEFA confirmed on Tuesday that the 2028 European Championships will take place across the United Kingdom and Ireland after ther joints bid ran unopposed. A campaign from Turkey had been their only rival, but last week it was confirmed that they'd officially dropped out in favour of sharing Euro 2032 with Italy.

The FA's of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have successfully teamed up to share hosting rights, having initially looked to stage the 2030 World Cup. However, the five nations agreed that their bid had slim chance of success, while hosting the Euros two years prior would "offer a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner."

With the bid confirmed to be a success, what needs settled now is when exactly Euro 2028 will take place.

What are the dates for Euro 2028?

As ever, the 2028 iteration of European Championships will take place in June and July. Next summer, for Euro 2024 in Germany, we get underway on Friday, June 14, with the Champions League final taking place 13 days prior.

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The final then takes places exactly a month later on Sunday, July 14. That Friday-Sunday pattern is commonly employed in major international tournaments and we can use that to determine the likely dates for Euro 2028.

The opening game is expected to take place on Friday, June 16, 2028. Following a month-long European football extravaganza, the final - likely held at Wembley Stadium - would then be played on Sunday, July 16, 2028.

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Euro 2028 schedule, dates and venues as UK and Ireland confirmed to joint host

Italy won the most recent European Championships, held in 2021 after a delay due to Covid-19 (Getty Images)

Which stadiums will be used for Euro 2028?

Despite the spread of five countries, six of the 10 shortlisted stadiums are in England. Belfast's Casement Park, due to be redeveloped ahead of the tournament after not being used since 2013, will be used for Northern Ireland, while the Dublin Arena will be where the Republic of Ireland is represented.

In Wales, Cardiff's Principality Stadium - often referred to as the Millennium Stadium - has been chosen, while Hampden Park signifies Scotland's involvement. Hampden was a venue for the Covid-delayed European Championships in 2021, while Dublin was forced to drop out following the postponement.

Everton's new £760million stadium on Bramley Moore Dock will be among the 10 venues (PA)

Although they're without doubt the two biggest clubs in the north-west of England, Manchester United and Liverpool won't have their grounds used during Euro 2028. Manchester City's Etihad Stadium and Everton's new ground at Bramley Moore Dock have instead been selected.

In the north-east, Newcastle's St James' Park will be utilised and the Midlands will be represented by Villa Park. In London, the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is set be used as well as Wembley, host of the 2021 final and due to be given a £4.3million makeover in time for the competition.