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England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they attain the relatively straightforward passage for a championship staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an Three Lions game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The championship was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by approximately 50 activists, who urged the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Signs were raised with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a match that will include Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will attract family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would play similarly at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be set aside for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Locations and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and The North London arena round out the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at the national stadium of each host.

The draw for the qualifiers will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

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

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.