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England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The championship was launched at an event in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they entered the location by around fifty protesters, who called for Israel to be expelled from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to families and help engage a broader range of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Locations and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its passion and power to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be made available to fans.