England to Begin Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.
City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.
The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Kickoff and Rally
The tournament was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Placards were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve Wales if they secure a place.
Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a broader range of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Locations and Playoffs
Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight 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 became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Official Statement
“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the game – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”
More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.
