🔗 Share this article

The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the site by approximately 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from next season, will attract family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same 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 miss out on Euro 2028 through that route.

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.