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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they achieve the expected passage for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The tournament was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the site by approximately 50 protesters, who called for Israel to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were held up with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

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

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to households and help engage a more diverse set of fans.

Qualifying Teams

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

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

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

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its fervor and ability to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to fans.