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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Demonstration

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who urged Israel’s national side to be expelled 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 shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from next season, will attract family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to fans.