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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the location by about 50 activists, who called for Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the finals through that route.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to fans.