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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the site by around fifty activists, who demanded Israel to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Event Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.