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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were held up with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.