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The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an England men’s game since May 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract families and help engage a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.