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The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s game since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The event was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the venue by about 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and power to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to fans.