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The English squad will commence their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they attain the expected entry for a tournament staged throughout most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since May 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Protest

The championship was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday night. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the site by around fifty protesters, who called for the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Timeline

The first match of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a match that will involve the Welsh team if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Villa Park and The North London arena finalize the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarter-finals played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on December 6, 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and power to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be made available to fans.