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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the expected passage for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Championship Launch and Protest

The event was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the location by around fifty activists, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

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

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to supporters.