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The English squad will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to stage the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Rally

The event was inaugurated at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they entered the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Timeline

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help connect with a broader range of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to supporters.