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England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Rally

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the site by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

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

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the game – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

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