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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 achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the England side for their opening fixture 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 the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the venue by around fifty protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to bring people together.”

Over 3 million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be made available to fans.