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England’s men’s team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they attain the expected passage for a tournament staged throughout the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would be held at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Key representatives from Uefa and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the venue by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be removed from the sport because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were raised with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a match that will include the Welsh team if they secure a place.

Wembley will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarter-finals staged at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it became clear the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the game – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”

More than three million passes, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are anticipated to be made available to attendees.