The Three Lions to Begin Euro 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium

The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward entry for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were held up with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

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

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

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

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to fans.