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The England national team will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward qualification for a competition staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an England men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their first match on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top Group B, their last-16 tie would take place at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Rally

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were confronted as they entered the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for UEFA Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help connect with a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the qualification path.

Locations and Playoffs

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the event’s nine venues. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.

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

Leadership Comment

“It will be a championship for the supporters and a festival of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and power to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a Euro tournament, are expected to be made available to fans.