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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the venue by about 50 protesters, who urged Israel to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were displayed with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

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

Qualifying Teams

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

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and ability to unite individuals.”

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