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The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the site by approximately 50 activists, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Timeline

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

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5pm.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will attract households and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

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

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

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

More than three million tickets, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to attendees.