🔗 Share this article

The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated qualification for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the venue by about 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

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

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to supporters.