England face missing Euro 2028 despite hosting tournament as major UEFA rule change announced

England could miss out on playing at the 2028 European Championship despite hosting the tournament due to an official rule change.

Following a meeting in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final, an official announcement from UEFA on Wednesday morning outlined the qualification process for Euro 2028 which will be hosted across the Britain and Ireland.

Stadiums such as Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Manchester City's Etihad Stadium and England's iconic Wembley stadium are just three of the nine host venues selected for the tournament.

But, despite hosting the games, England and the other host nations will no longer gain automatic qualification for Euro 2028 and will have to compete with several other UEFA nations to ensure their spot at the tournament.

The decision comes after the FA expressed a desire for the Three Lions to play competitive games ahead of the tournament rather than a year of friendlies.

The UK and Ireland were announced as joint hosts of Euro 2028 in 2023. (Image: Getty)

In a format that is identical to Europe’s qualifying schedule for the 2026 World Cup, with countries split into 12 groups, consisting of either four or five teams, including the four host nations.

The 12 group winners and the best eight runners-up will automatically qualify for the Euros, with two further spots up for grabs as part of a play-off system involving teams in the Nations League.

Play-offs will be contested by the other four runners-up from the qualifying groups and the best-ranked non-qualifiers from the Nations League which is set to get underway in September next year.

After each of these spots have been filled, UEFA have set aside another two spots that will be given to any of England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales should they fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through typical means, not including the play-offs.

Wembley is one of nine stadiums that will host matches during the tournament. (Image: Getty)

This provides a type of safety for the hosts, making their inclusion in the tournament much more likely than the other countries competing for a spot in the 24-team tournament.

Following the collapse of plans to host Euro 2028 matches in Belfast's Casement Park, Northern Ireland will not be eligible for either of the two spots, and will therefore have to rely on typical qualification should they hope to compete at Euro 2028.