England to Begin Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Kickoff and Rally
The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were confronted as they entered the site by around fifty activists, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.
Placards were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Schedule
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will involve Wales if they secure a place.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help reach a more diverse set of fans.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.
Venues and Elimination Phase
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.
The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and ability to unite individuals.”
More than three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.
