England to Start the European Championship 2028 Journey at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium
The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their first match on June 10, 2028.
The team are set 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 starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Opening and Protest
The event was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.
Placards were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Fixture List
The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will feature the Welsh team if they qualify.
The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.
It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.
Participating Countries
The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would play similarly 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 Playoffs
Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.
The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Tournament Vision
“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its passion and ability to foster unity.”
More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to attendees.
