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England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would take place at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they arrived the site by about 50 protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million tickets, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to attendees.