🔗 Share this article

The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The championship was unveiled at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the location by around fifty activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be expelled 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 Fixture List

The opening game of the European Championship will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the game – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to fans.