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England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated passage for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the location by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include Wales if they make it.

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

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped 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 game – its passion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.