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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the anticipated entry for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

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

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an event in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel to be expelled from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to families and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.

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

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.