England to Begin Euro 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground

England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated qualification for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The event was launched at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Championship Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.

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

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its passion and power to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to fans.