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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the expected passage for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the site by about 50 activists, who called for Israel’s national side to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature Wales if they make it.

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

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract families and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

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