The countdown to UEFA EURO 2028 is officially underway, which will see cities across the UK and Ireland host the football tournament, including the stadium home to Manchester City. The UEFA EUROs are recognised as the third-largest event in the world, with the UEFA EURO 2028 UK and Ireland tournament expected to draw over 3 million visitors to the UK and Ireland and to attract over 5 billion viewers.
To celebrate the football tournament and mark the countdown moment, a two-minute takeover took place on all digital advertising screens across Manchester city centre and at the tournament stadium in East Manchester last night (November 12).
What stadiums are being used for EURO 2028?
Nine stadiums will host matches:
Cardiff: National Stadium of Wales
Dublin: Dublin Arena
Glasgow: Hampden Park
Newcastle: St James’ Park
Manchester: Manchester City Stadium
Liverpool: Everton Stadium
Birmingham: Villa Park
London: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
London: Wembley Stadium
Which EURO 2028 games will be hosted at Manchester City Stadium?
As one of only eight host cities set to host games during the tournament, Manchester also has the honour of hosting England’s opening match of the tournament should they qualify directly. In total, five matches will be played in Manchester at the Manchester City Stadium, attracting over 300,000 fans to the stadium, with up to 40% of them anticipated to be from overseas.
When and where is the opening match of EURO 2028?
The opening match of the tournament will be held at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff – the Group A game will take place on Friday 9 June 2028.
Where are the EURO 2028 round of 16 and quarter-final games being held?
Eight of the nine host stadiums – except Wembley – will stage a round of 16 fixture, with the four quarter-finals split across the hosts: Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow and Wembley. To ensure sporting fairness and equal treatment, the round of 16 winners will play their quarter-final in a different venue.
When and where are the EURO 2028 semi-finals and final?
The final week will take place at Wembley in London, with the two semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday 4 July and Wednesday 5 July and the final taking place on Sunday 9 July.
If they qualify directly, where will the hosts and Northern Ireland play their group stage games?
England: Manchester City Stadium (1), Wembley Stadium (2)
Northern Ireland: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (1), Villa Park (1), Wembley Stadium (1)
Republic of Ireland: Dublin Arena (3)
Scotland: Hampden Park (3)
Wales: National Stadium of Wales (3)
Manchester will be going all out to create a football takeover of the city
Specially set-up fan festival sites
With hundreds of thousands more fans and visitors expected to visit the city during the tournament, Manchester will be going all out to create a football takeover of the city, with specially set-up fan festival sites across the city centre to ensure everyone has the best possible time whilst they’re here. The city will also be working with partners in the run-up to the tournament to maximise the wider social benefits of hosting the tournament to local people and to Manchester, and to ensure a lasting legacy for the city.
Better places to play
Key areas that will be part of the plan include better places to play – enhancing investment for grass roots sports clubs through improvements to pitches and facilities; growing the workforce within local communities to support the growth of the game through increasing the number of referees, coaches and volunteers. Plus, there are plans to help create safer places to play, whether that’s in schools, clubs, or parks; and continuing the legacy work established in the city during the Women’s EUROs in 2022 to ensure every girl has equal access to football.
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More than £200m economic boost for Manchester
As well as attracting visitors in their hundreds of thousands to Manchester during the tournament, the tournament is also forecast to have a significant economic impact on the city, with initial forecasts suggesting it will have a projected economic impact on the city of over £200m. Manchester’s selection as a host city for the tournament owes much to the ongoing investment in facilities and development of the area around the stadium in east Manchester into a sports and entertainment campus, both of which played a significant part in the city being able to bid in the first place for host city status in the tournament.
How do I get tickets for UEFA EURO 2028?
Ticket sales for UEFA EURO 2028 will start in April 2026. They will be exclusively sold via UEFA, so you may want to sign up for ticketing updates by heading here.
Full details for each matchday will be announced after the final tournament draw in 2027 and you can find out more information here.