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England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the anticipated passage for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the site by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Event Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

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

It is expected that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from next season, will cater to family audiences and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Host Nations

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

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

Tournament Vision

“This will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its emotion and ability to bring people together.”

In excess of three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to supporters.