The Three Lions to Begin Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.
Championship Launch and Rally
The championship was unveiled at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.
Banners were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.
The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement 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 appeal to households and help engage a more diverse set of fans.
Participating Countries
The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Locations and Elimination Phase
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.
The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”
In excess of three million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.
