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Cardiff will welcome the first match of UEFA's tournament, while penultimate matches and final are scheduled for the iconic English venue

Nine venues spread throughout four co-hosts - the UK and Ireland - will stage the major competition

Fixtures were earlier considered for the northern territory, but the proposed Belfast venue was removed due to funding issues

The governing body's selection to stage the opening match in the Welsh capital was confirmed as the competition was officially launched on Wednesday

"This marks the first time that '{The Red Wall' - our passionate Wales fans - will witness a prestigious competition on native ground," stated Welsh football governing body head official Noel Mooney

Different from previous Euros, co-hosting nations must earn their place for the future competition, though they would be promised to participate in opening rounds on home turf if they earn automatic entry

The participating countries will each be in different qualification pools, with two positions also allocated for the top-placed of those nations who miss out through regular qualification routes

Competition Format

Quarter-finals will be organized at the Welsh national venue, Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Glasgow's Hampden Park and London's iconic venue - which was used for semi-finals and final in 1996 and for the delayed 2020 edition

Etihad Stadium, where the Three Lions would start their journey if they earn automatic entry, before switching to Wembley, is part of multiple other venues being utilized in the host nation

North London's venue, Villa Park, Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium and Newcastle's stadium are the others that will be employed across the 51 matches overall

Economic Impact

The national administration says it is investing £557m to organize the tournament but projects a economic benefit of £3.2bn due to work generation, local development and tourist spending

"The European Championship will be the biggest sporting event ever co-organized by the UK and Ireland and, as a dedicated supporter, I know how much global tournaments like this matter," remarked UK Prime Minister

With an typical venue size of just under sixty thousand, UEFA estimates that more supporters than ever before will experience fixtures at a European Championship finals

Local Reactions

English football's head official said: "The scale of the championship will have a substantial advantage on regions across the nation"

His counterpart at the national organization, the association head, continued: "The incredible supporters are renowned for their dedication and we anticipate providing them, as well as the numerous visitors who will visit Ireland for the tournament, with the type of euphoric experience that they will never forget"

The leader of the national organization, the association official, remarked: "There's frequent conversation about the influence of the sport and the effect it can create on a regular basis across Scotland, far beyond the confines of a pitch"

The entry selection will take place in Belfast on 6 December 2026