England to Start UEFA Euro 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium

The England national team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated passage for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help connect with a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to attendees.