🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The event was launched at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Timeline

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

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to households and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.