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The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the expected passage for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to stage the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they arrived the location by about 50 activists, who called for Israel to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Fixture List

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

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from next season, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be offered to supporters.