England to Begin Euro 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated entry for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.
City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.
England are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Launch and Rally
The tournament was launched at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the situation in Gaza.
Banners were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.
The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.
Stadiums and Elimination Phase
Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.
The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.
Leadership Comment
“This will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its passion and power to bring people together.”
In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.
