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The England national team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to attendees.