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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they achieve the expected qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, 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 commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the venue by around fifty activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.