The English Team to Begin the European Championship 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the expected entry for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.
City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.
The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Opening and Protest
The event was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the site by about 50 activists, who demanded the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Banners were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Schedule
The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they secure a place.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.
It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will cater to households and help reach a broader range of fans.
Qualifying Teams
The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Locations and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at the national stadium of each host.
The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.
Leadership Comment
“This will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”
Over 3 million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to attendees.
