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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated entry for a championship staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the England side for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was launched at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will feature the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a wider spectrum of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be made available to supporters.