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The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the expected entry for a championship hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The event was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through that route.

Venues and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

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

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to attendees.