England to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s match since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the England side for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.
England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.
Competition Opening and Rally
The championship was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Banners were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they qualify.
Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.
It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help engage a broader range of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.
Venues and Knockout Stage
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.
The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.
Official Statement
“It will be a championship for the supporters and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”
More than three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.