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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from the sport because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were displayed with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

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

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for European club finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to supporters.