The Three Lions to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Kickoff and Protest
The championship was launched at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Banners were held up with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.
Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of fans.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.
Locations and Elimination Phase
Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground finalize the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.
The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”
More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.
