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The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated entry for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were displayed with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted 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 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to attendees.