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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they secure the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the location by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help connect with a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. 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 staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and power to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.