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England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the relatively straightforward passage for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly 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 miss out on the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

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

Over 3 million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to fans.