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The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the anticipated entry for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.