England to Launch the European Championship 2028 Campaign at City’s Home Ground
The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.
The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.
Tournament Kickoff and Protest
The tournament was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who urged Israel to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.
Placards were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”
Championship Schedule
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they make it.
Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.
It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to families and help engage a more diverse set of fans.
Participating Countries
The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.
Venues and Knockout Stage
Villa Park and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.
The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.
Official Statement
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”
More than three million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to supporters.
