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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Protest

The event was launched at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the venue by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we value about the football – its fervor and power to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to supporters.