🔗 Share this article

The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

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 friendly, but is highly likely to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match 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 enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.