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The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Rally

The championship was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the site by about 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

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

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the game – its passion and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to supporters.