England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Signs were displayed with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Dragons if they secure a place.
Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.
The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
“The event will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the football – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”
More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
