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The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since eight years ago, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its emotion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.