🔗 Share this article England to Launch UEFA Euro 2028 Quest at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic. City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028. The team are scheduled to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Championship Opening and Rally The championship was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they arrived the site by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza. Signs were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.” Tournament Schedule The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place. The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM. It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a broader range of audiences. Qualifying Teams The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park. Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process. Locations and Playoffs The Birmingham venue and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host. The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026. Official Statement “The event will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.” More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to fans.