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The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the expected entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Rally

The event was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the location by approximately 50 activists, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Championship Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve Wales if they make it.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

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

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its emotion and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.