England to Launch Euro 2028 Campaign at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium

The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The championship was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be expelled from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve Wales if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon 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 viewers.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to fans.