England to Launch Euro 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the expected entry for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.
Championship Kickoff and Rally
The event was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.
Signs were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Schedule
The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.
Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5pm.
It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help engage a wider spectrum of audiences.
Qualifying Teams
The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.
Locations and Elimination Phase
Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.
The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Leadership Comment
“It will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the football – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”
In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.
