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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the expected qualification for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The championship was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will cater to family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the sport – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to fans.