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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the anticipated qualification for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Rally

The event was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will appeal to families and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the sport – its passion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.