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The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Opening and Rally

The event was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were raised with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to fans.