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By Peter ShuttleworthBBC News9 October 2023
Updated 9 hours ago
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Cristiano Ronaldo starred as Cardiff hosted its last major football final, the 2017 Champions League final
Wales is in line to stage the opening match of football’s 2028 European Championships after the UK and Ireland were confirmed as tournament hosts.
It is understood that the bid proposes that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium hosts the opening match of Euro 2028.
After the Champions League final and golf’s Ryder Cup, the Euros will be the latest big sporting event in Wales.
But how will it affect football supporters?
Will host nations qualify automatically for Euro 2028?
Welsh football fans hoping that UK and Ireland hosting Euro 2028 will mean automatic qualification for host nations are in for a bit of a shock.
Usually, the host nation of a major tournament like the Euros automatically qualifies.
But with five countries bidding to host Euro 2028, there are just too many countries for Uefa to give up automatic spots.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Wales and England clashed in Euro 2016 and will be hoping to qualify for another Euros in 2028
In its bid guidelines, Uefa says: “In case of more than two joint-host associations, the automatic qualification of all the host teams cannot be guaranteed and shall be subject to a decision to be made in conjunction with decisions concerning the qualifying competition.”
It is unlikely Uefa will offer more than two places, so three could miss out.
There has been some talk of all five nations trying to qualify with two ‘backstop’ qualification spots available for those who miss out, with either the highest-ranking nations who failed to qualify going through, or the two sides that come closest to qualifying.
However, it has been said that there are some reservations within Uefa about offering a “backdoor” entry to nations who have failed to qualify, as well as its potential impact on the normal qualifying process.
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