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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated entry for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the venue by around fifty protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Championship Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad 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.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the football – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to fans.