England's road to Euro 2028 glory has been mapped out — well, sort of. The Three Lions have the small matter of the 2026 World Cup to conquer first before qualification starts for the tournament in 2008.
The UK and Ireland will host the European Championship between Friday 9th June and Sunday 9th July with nine UK stadiums hosting matches along the way.
For England, the hope will be that we can pip our biggest European rivals to glory on home soil, but doing so will be incredibly difficult.
In order to do so, the team will need the fans firmly behind them — something that will certainly happen now that the fixture schedule has been confirmed.
England Euro 2028 Fixture Schedule Set
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Like all of the host nations, England will need to qualify for Euro 2028 if they are to take part in the competition. However, two spaces have been reserved for host nations should they fail to qualify through conventional means.
All of the host nations will play their group stage fixtures in their home country if they qualify. As a result, that means that the venue of the Three Lions' group games are all but set.
England's first fixture will be hosted at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, as confirmed by UEFA. The following two group stage fixtures will be hosted at Wembley Stadium.
Fixture Venue
Group Stage 1 Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Group Stage 2 Wembley Stadium, London
Group Stage 3 Wembley Stadium, London
Euro 2028 Match Schedule
UEFA EURO trophy
NYON, SWITZERLAND - OCTOBER 10: A view of the UEFA EURO trophy during the UEFA EURO 2028 & 2032 Host Announcement at the UEFA headquarters, The House of European Football on October 10, 2023 in Nyon, Switzerland. (Photo by Kristian Skeie - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
As well as England's match venues being set, Euro 2028 has mapped out the tournament by publishing the match schedule. Each of the nine host stadiums will host a minimum of two group stage fixtures, while also all being allocated a Round Of 16 fixture.
The tournament's opening match will take place on Friday 6th June at the National Stadium Of Wales in Cardiff with the 73,952-seater stadium hosting the competition's opening ceremony.
The quarter-finals of the competition will be staged at Wembley Stadium in London, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the National Stadium Of Wales in Cardiff and Dublin Arena in Dublin.
Both semi-finals, scheduled for the 4th and 5th of July, will take place at Wembley, as will the Euro 2028 final on Sunday 9th July.
Full schedule details for the tournament will take place after the full Euro 2028 draw in 2027. Matches will kick off at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm GMT.
On the latest updates, English FA CEO, Mark Bullingham, said: "This event is a significant milestone in our journey towards delivering the biggest men’s EURO ever. The scale of the tournament will have a really positive impact on communities throughout the country.
“This will be a tournament for the fans, with their experience at the heart of our planning. We are excited for the Three Lions to have the opportunity to play matches around England, starting in Manchester."
Aston Villa star Tyrone Mings – who is a UK & Ireland 2028 Limited Board Member and England international – also added: “EURO 2028 will be an unforgettable experience for everyone – for the players stepping into world-class stadiums, and the fans who will create an electric atmosphere. I’ve played in many of these venues and they’re incredible when they come alive on big occasions. “This tournament will showcase the very best of our football culture, fuel future football development and make a positive impact on local communities that lasts long after the final whistle.”