England to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium

The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they entered the location by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.