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The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the anticipated entry for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in 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 last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were held up with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to supporters.