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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they secure the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were heckled as they arrived the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help engage a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.