When is the Euro 2028 qualifying draw?

Sunday 6 December 2026, at 17:00 GMT, at the ICC in Belfast, according to UEFA.

How many groups are there in Euro 2028 qualifying?

Twelve, of four or five nations, playing home and away. Fifty-four nations are eligible, with Russia suspended. The group stage runs from March to November 2027.

Do the hosts qualify automatically?

No. England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland all take part and are drawn into separate groups. Two places are reserved for the two best-ranked hosts who do not qualify on merit.

How many places are there from qualifying?

Twenty go straight through, the 12 group winners and the 8 best runners-up. The other four places are settled by the hosts' reserved places and the March 2028 play-offs.

Euro 2028

the draw

The qualifying draw decides who meets whom

The groups do not exist yet. They are drawn on 6 December 2026 at 17:00 GMT in ICC, Belfast. Until then there are no opponents to model, which is why this site has not published a pre-draw winner.

What the draw decides

Fifty-four nations go into twelve groups of four or five, six of each. Every nation plays the others in its group home and away between March and November 2027. The four hosts are drawn into separate groups.

Twenty places go to the twelve group winners and the eight best runners-up. A hard draw usually costs a nation the group win rather than qualification, which is why the draw matters less than it feels like it does. We explained why in full.

The hosts are the unusual part. They are not seeded into the finals, and only two reserved places catch the best-ranked hosts who miss. The simulator redraws the groups on every run so the luck of the draw sits inside the numbers.

The facts so far

Date: 6 December 2026, 17:00 GMT
Place: ICC, Belfast. Belfast stages the draw but no matches: Casement Park was dropped from the bid.
Entrants: 54 nations. Russia is suspended.
Groups: 12, of four or five nations, home and away. Group stage March to November 2027.
Direct places: 20: 12 group winners and the 8 best runners-up.
Host places: Two reserved for the two best-ranked hosts who miss out.
Play-offs: March 2028, for the remaining places.

Common questions

When is the Euro 2028 qualifying draw?: Sunday 6 December 2026, at 17:00 GMT, at the ICC in Belfast, according to UEFA.
How many groups are there in Euro 2028 qualifying?: Twelve, of four or five nations, playing home and away. Fifty-four nations are eligible, with Russia suspended. The group stage runs from March to November 2027.
Do the hosts qualify automatically?: No. England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland all take part and are drawn into separate groups. Two places are reserved for the two best-ranked hosts who do not qualify on merit.
How many places are there from qualifying?: Twenty go straight through, the 12 group winners and the 8 best runners-up. The other four places are settled by the hosts' reserved places and the March 2028 play-offs.

Date, place, group shape and the host rule are from UEFA’s draw announcement and qualification system. Checked 4 November 2026. Analysis to argue with, not betting advice.