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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they achieve the expected qualification for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely 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, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the location by around fifty activists, who called for the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Schedule

The first match of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature Wales 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 late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.