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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they attain the expected qualification for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Demonstration

The event was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were heckled as they arrived the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve Wales if they make it.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to attendees.