The Three Lions to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s ground.
Championship Launch and Rally
The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the venue by approximately 50 activists, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Fixture List
The first match of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature Wales if they qualify.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help reach a broader range of fans.
Participating Countries
The Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.
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 Euro 2028 through that route.
Stadiums and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.
The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.
Tournament Vision
“It will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”
More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be released to supporters.
