The English Team to Start the European Championship 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium
The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated qualification for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Competition Launch and Rally
The event was launched at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.
Placards were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Timeline
The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.
Qualifying Teams
The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.
The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.
Stadiums and Playoffs
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.
The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.
Official Statement
“It will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the sport – its passion and power to bring people together.”
In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.