Euro 2028: Cardiff to host opening match, Wembley to stage semi-finals and final
Cardiff will host the opening match of Euro 2028, with the semi-finals and final to be played at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Nine venues from four host countries (England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland) will host the 24-team tournament.
Matches were also scheduled to be played in Northern Ireland but Casement Park in Belfast was removed as an option due to lack of funding.
UEFA’s decision to play the first leg in the Welsh capital was confirmed when the tournament officially launched on Wednesday.
Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney said: “This will be the first time that the ‘Red Wall’, our passionate fans in Wales, will experience a major international tournament on home soil.
“This is a truly historic event that will unite communities, inspire future generations and showcase the best of Gaelic football and culture on the world stage.”
Unlike the previous Euros, host nations will need to qualify for the 2028 tournament, but if they do so directly they will be guaranteed to play their group matches on home soil.
Each of the four host nations will be placed in separate qualifying groups, with two places allocated to the two top-ranked teams among the teams that did not make it through the various qualifying routes.
The quarter-finals will be held at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Glasgow’s Hampden Park and Wembley, which was also used as the semi-final and final venue in 1996 and for the postponed 2020 edition.
The Etihad Stadium, where the Three Lions will play their opening group game if they qualify directly before moving on to Wembley, is one of five other stadiums in use in England.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Villa Park, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and Newcastle’s St James’ Park are other stadiums that will be used for a total of 51 matches.
The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast on 6 December 2026.
Speaking at the launch event, UK & Ireland 2028 Limited chairman Debbie Hewitt promised to deliver the “best ever” European Championship.
He added: “This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the game, the passion and the ability to bring people together.”
Meanwhile, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said: “The host countries where the game first took shape are looking forward to welcoming millions of fans to legendary stadiums, providing the right stage for a festival of emotions.”
