England to Start UEFA Euro 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground

England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the anticipated entry for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The championship was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were displayed with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.