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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the expected qualification for a competition taking place in the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

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

The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The championship was inaugurated at an event in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Fixture List

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and power to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to fans.