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The England national team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the expected entry for a championship hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to host the Three Lions for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, if they top the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Launch and Demonstration

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were barracked as they approached the location by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will include the Dragons if they qualify.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the final, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract households and help connect with a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are set to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Venues and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground complete the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight played at each country’s national stadium.

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the game – its passion and ability to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a record for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to supporters.