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The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected passage for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the venue by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

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

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to supporters.