🔗 Share this article

England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated entry for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the venue by around fifty protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help reach a broader range of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to attendees.