The UEFA Executive Committee approved a Euro 2028 qualification format in May 2025 that reserves two final-tournament spots for the highest-ranked host nations—England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—among those failing to finish as group winners or top runners-up. The 12 qualifying groups will be drawn on 6 December 2026, with hosts participating in separate groups and the two best non-direct qualifiers among them taking the reserved slots. Recent form, FIFA rankings, Nations League results, and head-to-head records will shape trader views on how many hosts are likely to need these spots, while schedule strength and potential upsets in the 2026–27 campaign remain key variables ahead of the June–July 2028 tournament across nine UK and Irish venues.