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The English squad will commence their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not welcomed an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Launch and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they arrived the location by around fifty activists, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help engage a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the preliminary stage; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Knockout Stage

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals held at each country’s national stadium.

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

Official Statement

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a all-time high for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to fans.