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The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the location by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be removed from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were displayed with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they qualify.

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

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

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.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

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

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the game – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.