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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they attain the expected entry for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Launch and Demonstration

The championship was launched at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.