🔗 Share this article

The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

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

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be expelled from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground 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 qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the football – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to fans.