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The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the site by about 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were displayed with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is anticipated 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 broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

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

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its passion and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to attendees.