🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the anticipated entry for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the site by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were displayed with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

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

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we love about the football – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.