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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they attain the expected entry for a competition hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract households and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Qualifying Teams

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

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the finals through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to attendees.