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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

England are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The event was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by about 50 protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.