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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the expected entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Rally

The championship was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the site by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the football – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to attendees.