Ireland's path to automatic slot at Euro 2028 outlined by Uefa

Uefa have confirmed their draw procedure for Euro 2028, ringfencing two slots for the four co-hosts across UK and Ireland. Pic: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE.

Uefa have confirmed their draw procedure for Euro 2028, ringfencing two slots for the four co-hosts across UK and Ireland.

England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland will participate in regulation qualifying but if they don’t reach the 24-team showpiece on playing merit, two backdoor slots are available to non-qualifiers.

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.

If three don’t qualify, the two will be determined as the best ranked host nations not qualified as group winners or best runners-up.

The 12 group winners and 8 best runners-up (20 teams) will advance directly to the finals in June 2028.

None of the four co-hosts can be drawn together in 12 qualifying groups of four or five teams.

Uefa’s executive committee rubberstamped the format at their regular meeting held in Bilbao ahead of tonight’s Europa League final.

The remaining spots will be assigned via play-offs between the remaining runners-up in the qualifying groups and the best ranked 2026-27 UEFA Nations League non-qualified group winners.

Depending on the number of spots used by the host nations, the number of final tournament spots decided by play-offs may vary between two and four, in one of the three following scenarios:

• Both reserved qualifying slots for the hosts used: Eight teams compete in two paths for two final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals.

• One reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Twelve teams compete in three paths for three final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals.

• No reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties, with the winners advancing to the final tournament.

Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is set to host four group games and two knockout games, including a quarter-final as it stands, but will likely absorb one of the matches scheduled for Casement Park before the unfinished Belfast GAA venue was eliminated by Uefa.

Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are the London venues, along with The Etihad in Manchester, Everton’s new stadium on Bramley Moore Dock, St James’ Park in Newcastle and Villa Park in Birmingham.

They are joined by the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and Hampden Park in Glasgow to complete the nine arenas staging the spectacular in the summer of 2028.