England to Launch the European Championship 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The English squad will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the expected entry for a championship staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.
Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win their group, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Launch and Protest
The tournament was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Placards were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Fixture List
The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Welsh team if they make it.
The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.
It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Stadiums and Elimination Phase
Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.
The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.
Tournament Vision
“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”
Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.