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The English squad will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not welcomed an England men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Opening and Demonstration

The championship was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were heckled as they approached the location by about 50 activists, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The opening game of the European Championship will be staged at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will appeal to households and help engage a more diverse set of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.