The Three Lions to Start UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground

The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the expected entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures 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 beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the location by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the football – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.