Newcastle City Council publish official statement on huge benefits as Euro 2028 comes to Tyneside | OneFootball

Newcastle City Council have welcomed the great news for our city, St James’ Park, Newcastle United and the region overall, as plans for Euro 2028 have been released.

Tyneside will host five games in total, including England in the last 16  if everything goes to plan and the Three Lions qualify for Euro 2028 and finish top of Group B.

In an official statement (see below), Newcastle City Council explaining many of the wide ranging benefits that come via St James’ Park having been selected to play a major role in Euro 2028.

Euro 2028 will start on Friday 9 June 2028 and end with the final on Sunday 9 July 2028.

It will be played at nine venues across England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

There will be 51 games played during Euro 2028 and this is the split on where matches will be hosted:

Wembley Stadium (London) – eight matches Principality Stadium (Cardiff) – six matches Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) – five matches Etihad Stadium (Manchester) – five matches Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool) – five matches St James’ Park (Newcastle) – five matches Villa Park (Birmingham) – four matches Hampden Park (Glasgow) – six matches Aviva Stadium (Dublin) – seven matches

The five to be played at St James’ Park.

Group games Monday 12 June 2028 (Group E match) Thursday 15 June 2028 (Group C match) Saturday 17 June 2028 (Group F match) Tuesday 20 June 2028 (Group D match)

Then on Sunday 25 June 2028, St James’ Park will host the last 16 knockout match between the winners of Group B and one of the third in the group finishers from Groups A, D, E or F (There are six groups and the top two in each four team group automatically go through to the last 16, plus the best four who finish third in their groups).

Assuming England qualify for Euro 2028, they will be in Group B and so if they top their four team group at the tournament in summer 2028, they will play their last 16 knockout match at St James’ Park.

Newcastle City Council official statement – 12 November 2025:

As part of the build up to the first game on 9 June, 2028, UEFA has revealed that five games during the tournament hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland will be held at the iconic St James’ Park – four group games and one Last 16 game.

The news came as Newcastle City Council and UEFA joined together to officially launch the tournament and unveil the host city logo for Newcastle.

The brand was revealed to more than 2,000 people at a special event held at St James’ STACK as part of a simultaneous launch involving the other seven host cities all unveiling their logos at 20.28pm on Wednesday (12 November). The evening also saw the Tyne Bridge and Civic Centre lit up blue, one of the tournament colours.

UEFA EURO 2028 aims to be an unforgettable summer of football, with more than three million match tickets available for supporters – greater than any previous UEFA EURO tournament – while the tournament will create long-lasting benefits for communities through an incredible celebration of top-class international football.

It is anticipated that the tournament will generate up to £3.6billion of socio-economic benefits for the UK and Ireland between 2028 and 2031.

Organisers also say that local businesses, supplies and communities within host cities will see direct economic gains, while dedicated training and volunteering initiatives will enhance skills development and open pathways into employment across the regions.

‘Absolutely fantastic news for our city’ Cllr Karen Kilgour, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The announcement that Newcastle will host five UEFA EURO 2028 matches is absolutely fantastic news for our city. We’re a football-mad city, and as Newcastle United has shown, the atmosphere at St James’ Park makes it one of the most exciting grounds to play at in the country. Visiting fans love coming here, and we can’t wait to welcome supporters from across Europe to our wonderful city.

“As a lifelong Newcastle United supporter and season ticket holder, I’m thrilled that international football will be coming to St James’ Park on such a major scale. We all remember the excitement of Euro ’96, but UEFA EURO 2028 promises to be even bigger and better.

“I’m also delighted to see the official host city logo unveiled. The Tyne Bridge is such an iconic symbol for Newcastle. It represents not only our city, but our pride, our spirit, and our warm welcome to visitors. Seeing it featured in this way is truly special.

“We’ve all seen how visiting fans can transform our city during major tournaments, and I can’t wait to see the famous fan walks to St James’ Park and the atmosphere they’ll bring.

“We’re determined to play our part in creating a tournament to remember, one that will be brilliant both on and off the pitch. Euro 2028 will be an unforgettable summer of football, for players, supporters, and everyone across our communities.

“This is about more than football, it’s about showcasing Newcastle on the international stage. Hosting UEFA EURO 2028 will bring a huge boost to our local economy, with hundreds of thousands of fans bringing millions of pounds into our city, supporting local businesses, and helping to attract investment. It will have a lasting impact, inspiring communities and creating opportunities for years to come. I can’t wait!”

‘Good news for the whole region’ North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We’re a region with football in the blood so fans will be excited to know we’ll be staging five UEFA EURO 28 games in Newcastle. I’m sure like me everyone will be wondering and guessing which teams will be coming to St James’s Park.

“The fact we’ve brought five Euro 28 games to Newcastle is good news for the whole region. We’re going to make sure we offer a true North East welcome so visiting fans can use this region as their base for the tournament, because that’s going to be a big boost to people who work in our hotels and restaurants.

“Most of all I want Euro 28 to inspire boys and girls all over the North East to get into football, with all the joy that brings. We’re going to make this the UK’s first region of sport and that’s about bringing world-class events to the North East and the spark that can fire with our children: Maybe the Lucy Bronze or Dan Burns of the future will start their journey watching a game at St James’ Park in 2028 then pulling on their boots for a kick-around.”

‘A proud milestone for football’ Debbie Hewitt MBE, Chair of UK and Ireland 2028 Limited, said: “Today marks a proud milestone for football across the UK and Ireland as we celebrate the launch of UEFA EURO 2028.

“Working with UEFA and our football and government partners, we will deliver the best-ever EURO in 2028. It will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the game – its passion, inclusivity and ability to bring people together.

“We are building an event of excellence and inspiration, a welcoming, safe and sustainable UEFA EURO that enhances football development and creates lasting community benefits far beyond the pitch. The countdown is truly on now to what will be an unforgettable summer of football.”

UEFA EURO 2028 UK and Ireland will also see the largest-ever community programme for the tournament. Social impact plans, to be delivered by local stakeholders in each host nation, will ensure the tournament is celebrated in hundreds of communities, placing the spotlight on football inclusivity, volunteers and community heroes.

The tournament will feature 51 matches overall involving 24 teams across 31 days with the home nations playing all group games in front of own fans if they qualify.

Dates for games at St James’ Park Group games Monday 12 June 2028 Thursday 15 June 2028 Saturday 17 June 2028 Tuesday 20 June 2028

Last 16 game Sunday 25 June 2028′

My conclusions

This is all great news for Tyneside, whether you are a football fan or not.

Excellent for the city and the region in terms of prestige and a chance to promote all the many positives of Newcastle Upon Tyne to the rest of Europe and beyond.

Always nice to see St James’ Park used for such massive events and I’m looking forward to loads of visitors from the various countries coming to our city.

A massive shot in the arm as well for the local economy.