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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they attain the anticipated passage for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to host the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the organizing bodies were barracked as they entered the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract family audiences and help connect with a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a tournament for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to supporters.