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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the anticipated qualification for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The event was inaugurated at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with slogans reading “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 Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

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

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

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