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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Rally

The championship was unveiled at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the venue by about 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium 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 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 a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.