Cardiff will stage the opening match of the 2028 European Championship on June 9, with the final set for London’s Wembley Stadium on July 9, tournament organizer UEFA announced Wednesday.
The tournament, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, will feature 51 matches among 24 nations across nine venues in eight cities, including Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
Wembley Stadium will host both semifinals and one quarterfinal, while the remaining last-eight matches will take place in Dublin, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Round of 16 matches will be spread across all host venues except Wembley. Each host nation that qualifies directly will play its group-stage matches on home soil, ensuring a festival of football across the British Isles.
“At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football – loud, clear and united,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“The host nations, where the game first took shape, are eager to welcome millions of fans into legendary stadiums.
“In the way matches are staged – including a new, more convenient kickoff time for the final – we want to maximize the fan experience.”
UEFA has confirmed three kickoff times for the tournament: 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. GMT.
The event is projected to generate 3.6 billion pounds ($4.83 billion) in socio-economic benefits for the United Kingdom and Ireland between 2028 and 2031, according to an independent assessment, UEFA said.
These benefits include job creation, regional development and spending by international visitors.
The U.K. government, Scottish government, Welsh government and government of Ireland have collectively pledged up to 740 million pounds ($993 million) in funding to ensure the event is safe, secure and world-class for fans and host communities alike.
“The scale of the tournament will have a really positive impact on communities throughout the country,” English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
“This will be a tournament for the fans, with their experience at the heart of our planning.”
In May, UEFA said England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales would participate in qualifying for Euro 2028, with only two spots reserved if any of the hosts fail to qualify automatically.
England finished runners-up at Euro 2024, while Scotland exited in the group stage. Wales and Ireland did not qualify for last year’s tournament hosted by Germany.
Belfast has been chosen to host the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland’s capital on Dec. 6, 2026.
