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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the expected qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Championship Opening and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from next season, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the football – its passion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to attendees.