The Three Lions to Launch the European Championship 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
England are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Kickoff and Demonstration
The championship was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who urged Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Banners were held up with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Timeline
The first match of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve Wales if they secure a place.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.
It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.
Host Nations
The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through that route.
Stadiums and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.
The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a tournament for the fans and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its passion and capacity to unite individuals.”
More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to attendees.
