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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the national team for their first match on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The event was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be kicked out from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were raised with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley 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 late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Irish team are due to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army 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 reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at each country’s national stadium.

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

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a tournament for the supporters and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.