The Three Lions to Launch Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the anticipated qualification for a competition taking place in the majority of the UK and the Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s game since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Launch and Demonstration
The event was unveiled at an event in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the site by approximately 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help reach a broader range of viewers.
Qualifying Teams
The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.
Venues and Playoffs
Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.
The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Official Statement
“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”
More than three million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.
