🔗 Share this article The Three Lions to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the expected qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic. Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028. England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground. Competition Kickoff and Rally The event was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the site by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza. Signs were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.” Event Timeline The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held 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 championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM. It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans. Participating Countries The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Hampden Park. The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process. Locations and Knockout Stage Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena. The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026. Tournament Vision “It will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.” More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to supporters.