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England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played 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 the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to attendees.