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The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the expected passage for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Event Fixture List

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its passion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be released to supporters.