The Three Lions to Start the European Championship 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium

The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by approximately 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help reach a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we love about the football – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to attendees.