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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to households and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“The event will be a tournament for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.