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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated entry for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an English men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to stage the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Demonstration

The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million admissions, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.