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England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions match since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were raised with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include Wales if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots 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 complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its fervor and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to attendees.