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The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The event was unveiled at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

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

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to attendees.