đ Share this article The English Team to Start the European Championship 2028 Quest at the Etihad Stadium The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated qualification for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland. The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028. The English side are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would be held at St Jamesâ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Competition Opening and Demonstration The tournament was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European footballâs governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza. Banners were raised with messages reading âShow Israel the red cardâ and âYou are complicitâ, while protesters shouted: âKick Israel out.â Championship Schedule The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve Wales if they qualify. The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at 5pm. It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers. Host Nations The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland. The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through that route. Stadiums and Playoffs Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every hostâs main arena. The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026. Tournament Vision âIt will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football â its emotion and capacity to foster unity.â Over 3 million passes, a record for a menâs European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.