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The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they secure the expected qualification for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Demonstration

The championship was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they arrived the location by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel to be removed from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Welsh team if they make it.

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

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that miss out on the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals staged at each country’s national stadium.

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

Tournament Vision

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

Over 3 million admissions, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.