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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated qualification for a championship staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the venue by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to supporters.