England to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium
The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected passage for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.
The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Tournament Kickoff and Protest
The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.
Placards were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”
Tournament Schedule
The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include Wales if they make it.
Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.
It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help reach a wider spectrum of fans.
Host Nations
The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.
Locations and Knockout Stage
The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.
The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.
Official Statement
“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its passion and power to foster unity.”
More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to supporters.
