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England’s men’s team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they attain the expected entry for a tournament staged throughout the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

The English side are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their knockout stage opener would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Kickoff and Demonstration

The event was inaugurated at an event in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Key representatives from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they entered the site by around fifty activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on June 9, 2028, a game that will include Wales if they make it.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the following campaign, will cater to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the preliminary stage; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through that route.

Locations and Playoffs

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the quarterfinal matches held at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the game – its emotion and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to fans.