🔗 Share this article

The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the site by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host 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 competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the football – its passion and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to fans.