The Three Lions to Launch Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward entry for a championship staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.
Championship Kickoff and Protest
The event was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the venue by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Fixture List
The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve Wales if they qualify.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help engage a more diverse set of fans.
Host Nations
The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the finals through that route.
Locations and Playoffs
Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”
Over 3 million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to attendees.
