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England’s men’s team will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an English men’s fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Rally

The event was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host football associations were confronted as they entered the site by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be removed 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 demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through that route.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.