England to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
The English squad will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the expected qualification for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The team are scheduled to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s ground.
Competition Kickoff and Protest
The tournament was inaugurated at an event in central London on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Signs were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Schedule
The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.
The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of viewers.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.
Venues and Knockout Stage
Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.
The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“The event will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”
More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to fans.
