🔗 Share this article The Three Lions to Begin the European Championship 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated entry for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland. The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028. The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Competition Launch and Protest The championship was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the venue by approximately 50 activists, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza. Banners were raised with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.” Event Schedule The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they make it. Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM. It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a broader range of audiences. Host Nations The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland. Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path. Stadiums and Playoffs Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium. The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026. Leadership Comment “This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its fervor and power to bring people together.” In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.