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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they attain the anticipated qualification for a tournament taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, should they win their group, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The event was inaugurated at an event in central London on the previous evening. Key representatives from Uefa and the organizing bodies were heckled as they entered the location by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with slogans stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Timeline

The first match of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help connect with a more diverse set of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are due to play their opening match at the Aviva Stadium and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The qualification draw will be staged in Belfast, which was dropped as a tournament location last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Official Statement

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

More than three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.