The Three Lions to Start the European Championship 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they secure the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Opening and Rally
The event was launched at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Fixture List
The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include Wales if they secure a place.
Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.
It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.
Venues and Elimination Phase
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at every host’s main arena.
The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a championship for the followers and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its passion and power to foster unity.”
In excess of three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be released to attendees.
