The Three Lions to Launch the European Championship 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium

The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Competition Opening and Rally

The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were displayed with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its passion and ability to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to attendees.