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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated entry for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were barracked as they arrived the venue by about 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Event Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from next season, will attract households and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture 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 fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and ability to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.