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The England national team will initiate their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the anticipated passage for a competition taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The championship was unveiled at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the site by around fifty activists, who urged Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its emotion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.