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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Rally

The championship was inaugurated at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be removed from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time 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 connect with a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach the finals through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the game – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

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