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England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated qualification for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were displayed with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

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

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to fans.