The Three Lions to Start Euro 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
England are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Launch and Rally
The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives 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 Israel to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Banners were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The opening game of the European Championship will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will appeal to households and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.
Venues and Playoffs
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.
The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and power to foster unity.”
More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.
