From my perspective, England getting their Euro 2028 started at the Etihad is the plan, which of course relies on them getting through the qualifiers successfully. I think it’s been a long time since the men’s team played at Manchester City’s ground, not since 2016. So imagine the national team finally returning there for their first match on a Saturday in June, 2028.
Wembley is where their last two group games are supposed to happen, I’ve heard. But honestly, where they end up playing later on depends completely on how they do in that first group. Winning their group means a trip up to Newcastle for the next round, which sounds exciting. Finishing second sends them to Everton’s stadium instead, a different kind of challenge.
The big launch event in Piccadilly Circus got interrupted, I read. There was a protest about Palestine, with around fifty people showing up. They were chanting about kicking Israel out of football because of what’s happening in Gaza. Their banners had some strong words on them, like telling everyone they were complicit.
Cardiff’s Principality Stadium gets the honour of the very first game, which might feature Wales if they make it. For me, the real big games are at Wembley later, with the semis and final all there. The final itself is on a Sunday evening, I see they’ve scheduled it for a bit earlier, which probably is better for families wanting to watch.
The Republic of Ireland would begin things in Dublin, and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park. I find it interesting that two spots are being saved just for the hosts, in case any of the four don’t qualify normally. Villa Park and the Tottenham stadium are also on the list of places being used, with every one of them getting a knockout game. Each country’s main stadium gets a quarter-final, which seems fair. The qualifying draw got moved from Belfast and is now happening in December 2026 somewhere else, all because some park’s redevelopment is behind schedule.
Debbie Hewitt, who’s a big chairperson for the FA, said the tournament will be for the fans and a festival of everything we love about football. She talked about its passion and how it brings people together, which I agree with.
They’re hoping to sell over three million tickets, which would be a new record. I suppose that many people coming will be a huge boost for shops and hotels and create lots of jobs. Picking the stadiums and the schedule involved looking at lots of things, like how big they are and how easy they are to get to. The goal is to make sure everyone has a great time.
UEFA seems pretty sure this Euro will be as good as the last ones were. They also see it as a way to help include everyone in the community. Hopefully, the whole thing will leave a good memory and get more kids interested in playing football someday.
And honestly, just thinking about five different countries all trying to work together on this is a pretty big deal, it makes the whole tournament feel more spread out and shared. I hear the plan was always to have it across Britain and Ireland, making it less about one single place. For me, the travel between cities for fans might be a bit complicated, but it also was a unique chance to see more of the region. Hopefully it all comes together and shows how football can connect people across borders, which is a nice idea even if the logistics are tricky.
