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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated passage for a competition hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were defeated 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their first match on June 10, 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be expelled from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were held up with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will attract families and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the qualification path.

Venues and Knockout Stage

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

The qualification draw will be staged in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a tournament for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the game – its fervor and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be released to supporters.