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The England national team will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they achieve the expected qualification for a championship staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel’s national side to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

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

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

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

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the football – its fervor and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be offered to fans.