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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the expected passage for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they entered the location by approximately 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

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

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

Over 3 million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.