The Three Lions to Start Euro 2028 Quest at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the anticipated entry for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.
The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Kickoff and Rally
The tournament was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were barracked as they arrived the site by around fifty activists, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Timeline
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.
It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.
Host Nations
The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.
Venues and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.
The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.
Official Statement
“The event will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and ability to foster unity.”
More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.
