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England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the expected entry for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who urged the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

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

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its passion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to fans.