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England’s men’s team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated entry for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to welcome the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Demonstration

The event was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the location by approximately 50 protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were held up with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The first match of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will involve the Welsh team if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a festival of everything we love about the game – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.