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The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

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

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the venue by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were displayed with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will involve Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.