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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Championship Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will cater to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to fans.