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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the expected entry for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Opening and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.