The Three Lions to Begin UEFA Euro 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium

The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Competition Opening and Protest

The tournament was launched at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the venue by around fifty protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the football – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to supporters.