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The English squad will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated qualification for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

England are set to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The championship was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they approached the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.