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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the anticipated passage for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Rally

The event was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help engage a broader range of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

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

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a festival of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.