England to Launch the European Championship 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium

The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature Wales if they qualify.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight 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 emerged the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to attendees.