🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a championship staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the site by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “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 game that will include Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to supporters.