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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the expected entry for a competition staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an gathering in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they entered the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were displayed with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

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

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to fans.