The English Team to Start Euro 2028 Journey at the Etihad Stadium

The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Opening and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The opening game of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to attendees.