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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The championship was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the site by about 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Fixture List

The first match of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help reach a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.