🔗 Share this article

The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the anticipated passage for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who called for Israel to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

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

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.