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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected entry for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the venue by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help reach a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

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

In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.