🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a competition taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to fans.