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The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected passage for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help engage a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its emotion and power to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to attendees.