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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the expected entry for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Demonstration

The championship was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Championship Schedule

The first match of the tournament will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.