The Three Lions to Start the European Championship 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground
England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to welcome the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.
Championship Launch and Protest
The event was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they arrived the site by approximately 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.
Placards were displayed with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will involve the Welsh team if they make it.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a broader range of fans.
Host Nations
The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.
Locations and Elimination Phase
Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.
The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and power to foster unity.”
More than three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.