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The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Championship Launch and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.