The Three Lions to Launch Euro 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they achieve the anticipated qualification for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Opening and Demonstration
The event was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they make it.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help connect with a broader range of viewers.
Qualifying Teams
The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Stadiums and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.
The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.
Official Statement
“It will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”
Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.
