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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they secure the anticipated passage for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

City’s stadium has not hosted an England men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the Turkish team were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to host the national team for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning their group, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s ground.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The event was unveiled at an event in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the organizing bodies were barracked as they entered the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Banners were raised with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

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

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to households and help engage a wider spectrum of viewers.

Host Nations

The Republic of Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Hampden Park.

Each host nation’s squad will participate in the qualifying tournament; two guaranteed slots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground round out the nine host stadiums. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

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

Leadership Comment

“It will be a championship for the fans and a celebration of everything we value about the sport – its emotion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be released to attendees.