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The English squad will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the relatively straightforward entry for a championship staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top Group B, their round of 16 match would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was unveiled at an event in central London on the previous evening. High-ranking officials from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the venue by around fifty activists, who demanded Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Schedule

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to attendees.