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The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Rally

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the site by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.