The Three Lions to Launch the European Championship 2028 Journey at the Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.
Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.
Tournament Kickoff and Demonstration
The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.
Signs were displayed with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they make it.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help engage a more diverse set of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Hampden Park.
All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.
Stadiums and Playoffs
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.
Tournament Vision
“It will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”
In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to attendees.
