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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected passage for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground 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 expected to host the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The championship was unveiled at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.