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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The championship was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the game – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to attendees.