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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the expected passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Rally

The event was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the venue by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The first match of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match 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 automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

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

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and ability to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to supporters.