England to Start UEFA Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.
England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Opening and Protest
The tournament was launched at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Banners were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.
Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.
Locations and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.
Official Statement
“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”
More than three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to fans.
