The English Team to Start Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a championship staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Kickoff and Protest
The championship was inaugurated at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.
Signs were displayed with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they make it.
Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.
Host Nations
The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Venues and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.
The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its emotion and capacity to bring people together.”
More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.
