🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its passion and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to attendees.