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The English squad will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

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

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.