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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an English men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, should they win their group, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The championship was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they approached the venue by about 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were raised with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 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 quarter-finals held at the national stadium of each host.

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

Tournament Vision

“This will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the football – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to attendees.