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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected qualification for a championship taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since May 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers 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 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

Over 3 million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.