England to Start UEFA Euro 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground
England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.
City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their first match on June 10, 2028.
England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Opening and Demonstration
The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Timeline
The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve Wales if they make it.
Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.
All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through that route.
Locations and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.
The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.
Tournament Vision
“It will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”
More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to attendees.
