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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated entry for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its passion and power to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.