England to Begin UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the expected passage for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.
Tournament Kickoff and Demonstration
The championship was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were heckled as they approached the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.
Banners were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Schedule
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.
The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help engage a broader range of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the finals through the standard process.
Stadiums and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at every host’s main arena.
The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Leadership Comment
“It will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its fervor and power to unite individuals.”
More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.
