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England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Demonstration

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the site by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

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

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.