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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host 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, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The championship was unveiled at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the venue by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.