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The England national team will initiate their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the expected qualification for a tournament hosted across most of the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic.

City’s stadium has not staged an Three Lions game since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is expected to stage the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are scheduled to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their knockout stage opener would be held at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Launch and Protest

The tournament was inaugurated at an gathering in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were heckled as they arrived the venue by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel to be removed from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

Banners were displayed with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “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 match that will include Wales if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host both semi-finals and the title decider, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at late afternoon.

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

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that miss out on Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena round out the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a host city last year when it was revealed the proposed venue could not be redeveloped in time, on a date in late 2026.

Official Statement

“It will be a championship for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the game – its emotion and power to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to fans.