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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the national team for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will attract households and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to fans.