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The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the venue by about 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualification process; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Venues and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we value about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to fans.