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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature the Welsh team 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 kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Host Nations

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

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

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

Leadership Comment

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

More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to fans.