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England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the venue by approximately 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to attendees.