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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the anticipated qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Rally

The championship was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help engage a broader range of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.

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

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.