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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the expected qualification for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Launch and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by approximately 50 activists, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will appeal to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

More than three million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.