England to Start the European Championship 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they achieve the expected qualification for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions match since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.
Competition Opening and Demonstration
The championship was unveiled at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the site by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.
Banners were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Timeline
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they qualify.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.
Locations and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.
The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and power to foster unity.”
Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to fans.
