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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The event was launched at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the site by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were held up with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a tournament for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to fans.