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The English squad will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected entry for a competition staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is almost certain to stage the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the knockouts at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by about 50 protesters, who demanded the Israeli team to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Schedule

The opening game of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help reach a more diverse set of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

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

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

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the football – its passion and power to bring people together.”

In excess of three million passes, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.