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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they achieve the anticipated qualification for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will include Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.