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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated qualification for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s match since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Championship Timeline

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to attendees.