England to Start Euro 2028 Journey at the Etihad Stadium
The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Kickoff and Protest
The event was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.
Banners were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve Wales if they qualify.
Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches 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 kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to families and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.
Host Nations
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.
Stadiums and Elimination Phase
Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at every host’s main arena.
The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Leadership Comment
“It will be a championship for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”
More than three million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to attendees.
