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England’s men’s team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they achieve the expected qualification for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Demonstration

The championship was unveiled at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the site by about 50 activists, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract households and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that do not reach the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

Over 3 million admissions, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to supporters.