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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they approached the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The first match of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.