England to Begin UEFA Euro 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground

The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they attain the anticipated qualification for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The championship was unveiled at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help connect with a broader range of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

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

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to attendees.