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The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the visitors were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the venue by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel to be expelled from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Schedule

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground finalize the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the followers and a festival of everything we value about the football – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.