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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the expected passage for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The event was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the venue by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its passion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to supporters.