England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition taking place in the majority of the UK and the Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The tournament was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by about 50 activists, who urged Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.
Signs were displayed with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
The first match of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they secure a place.
Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of viewers.
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.
The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.
“This will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”
More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.
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