The Three Lions to Start the European Championship 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The English squad will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they secure the expected entry for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.
England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Opening and Rally
The event was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the site by approximately 50 activists, who urged the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Signs were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Schedule
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature Wales if they make it.
Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.
It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.
Locations and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.
The qualification draw will be conducted 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 December 6, 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its passion and ability to foster unity.”
In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to attendees.