Ivan Toney to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court on 12 June 2028, a date that falls during Euro 2028

Ivan Toney will face trial at Southwark Crown Court on 12 June 2028 after entering a not guilty plea to an assault occasioning actual bodily harm charge, a date that coincides with Euro 2028. He confirmed the plea in open court and the scheduling means the case will take place during the tournament.

Toney appeared in the dock at Southwark and stood to indicate his not guilty plea in relation to an incident at a Soho nightclub on 6 December last year, in which he is accused of head-butting and punching Saber Da Silva. Judge Hehir set the trial date about 20 months ahead and apologised: "That’s a long way, I’m sorry about that," adding: "As you may know, the crown courts are operating under a great deal of pressure." The judge told Toney he was in a queue of defendants awaiting crown court trials.

Prosecutor Tom Heslop told Westminster magistrates court that Toney and Da Silva exchanged words, resulting in them "squaring up" to one another before Toney "lunged forward and head-butted the complainant, followed by a few punches". It was alleged Da Silva sustained injuries to his nose and fingers.

Toney was part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at the 2026 World Cup, coming on against Argentina in the semi-final and starting the third-place playoff victory against France. The Metropolitan police charged him three weeks after that tournament, and he was not included in Tuchel’s subsequent squad for the Nations League fixtures at the end of September and early October.

At club level, Toney plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after a £40m move in 2024; he has 10 England caps. His career began at Northampton, included spells at Newcastle and Peterborough, and accelerated at Brentford where his goals helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2021 before he established himself in the top flight.

After entering his plea, Toney requested his trial be heard at crown court and was released on unconditional bail. He was told it was "very important" and "a matter of common sense" to remain in regular contact with his solicitors; Judge Hehir warned that "It’s a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment" if he failed to attend and said the case would likely be tried in his absence if he did not appear.

The trial is due to begin on 12 June 2028 and will take place during the group stage of Euro 2028, which is due to be held in the UK and Ireland, effectively ruling Toney out of that tournament.