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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the expected passage for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s match since May 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to attendees.