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England’s men’s team will embark on their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the expected entry for a competition hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to host the England side for their opening fixture on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley, but, should they win Group B, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Protest

The championship was launched at an event in central London on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were raised with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will feature the Welsh team if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the preliminary stage; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the sport – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be made available to supporters.