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

The English squad will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the anticipated qualification for a competition taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the site by approximately 50 activists, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to attendees.