🔗 Share this article The Three Lions to Begin the European Championship 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a competition taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic. Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions game since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their first match on June 10, 2028. England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Competition Launch and Demonstration The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza. Placards were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.” Event Schedule The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve Wales if they secure a place. The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM. It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers. Qualifying Teams The Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland. Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process. Stadiums and Elimination Phase The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena. The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026. Leadership Comment “This will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and ability to foster unity.” Over 3 million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to fans.