🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the expected passage for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The event was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they entered the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract households and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to supporters.