🔗 Share this article

The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward passage for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals 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 redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.