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England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The event was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the location by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

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

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help engage a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to attendees.