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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Rally

The championship was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the site by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national 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 hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

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

More than three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.