England to Launch the European Championship 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, 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 hosted an English men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.
Competition Launch and Protest
The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the venue by around fifty activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.
Placards were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
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 involve the Dragons if they secure a place.
Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to households and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Stadiums and Playoffs
Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.
The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Tournament Vision
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its passion and ability to foster unity.”
More than three million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.
