🔗 Share this article

The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, 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 Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the venue by approximately 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

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

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the football – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to fans.