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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated qualification for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the location by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Timeline

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

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

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the followers and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.