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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Championship Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

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

Tournament Vision

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

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to attendees.