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The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s game since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an event in central London on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they entered the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

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

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be held in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the football – its emotion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.