🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a competition taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the location by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted 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.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.