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The English squad will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by about 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will involve Wales if they make it.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help connect with a broader range of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to fans.