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The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they achieve the anticipated entry for a tournament hosted across the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their opening fixture on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are scheduled to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The event was inaugurated at an event in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty activists, who demanded the Israeli team to be expelled from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Tournament Timeline

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature the Dragons if they secure a place.

Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for UEFA Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to family audiences and help reach a broader range of fans.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the qualification path.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed as a venue city last year when it emerged the proposed venue could not be upgraded in time, on December 6, 2026.

Official Statement

“This will be a championship for the followers and a celebration of everything we love about the football – its passion and ability to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to attendees.