🔗 Share this article England to Begin Euro 2028 Journey at the Etihad Stadium The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the expected qualification for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland. Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028. The team are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, should they win their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Competition Kickoff and Rally The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis. Banners were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.” Tournament Schedule The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they qualify. Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm. It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help engage a more diverse set of audiences. Host Nations The Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland. Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that do not reach the finals through that route. Locations and Knockout Stage Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena. The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped 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 “The event will be a tournament for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its emotion and power to unite individuals.” Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be made available to attendees.