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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the site by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Championship Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

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

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the football – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.