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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the anticipated entry for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an English men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Rally

The tournament was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and power to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.