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The England national team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the location by about 50 activists, who demanded the Israeli team 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 played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.