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England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the anticipated qualification for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The tournament was unveiled at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the location by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature Wales if they qualify.

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

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the football – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.