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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the anticipated qualification for a competition taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an English men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the venue by about 50 protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were displayed with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The first match of the European Championship will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

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

Participating Countries

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and power to bring people together.”

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.