The English Team to Start the European Championship 2028 Campaign at the Etihad Stadium
England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the expected entry for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an England men’s match since May 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.
England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Opening and Demonstration
The championship was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the location by approximately 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.
Signs were displayed with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Fixture List
The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.
The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help engage a broader range of audiences.
Participating Countries
The Irish team are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.
All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.
Stadiums and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.
The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.
Tournament Vision
“It will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to bring people together.”
More than three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to attendees.
