England to Launch Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.
The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Kickoff and Protest
The tournament was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel to be expelled from international football because of the conflict 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 Schedule
The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve Wales if they qualify.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.
Locations and Knockout Stage
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at the national stadium of each host.
The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Leadership Comment
“It will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”
Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.
