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The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected entry for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was launched at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a competition for the followers and a festival of everything we value about the game – its passion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to fans.