The Three Lions to Start the European Championship 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium

The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they attain the anticipated entry for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the location by around fifty activists, who urged the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to households and help connect with a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“The event will be a competition for the followers and a festival of everything we love about the football – its passion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.