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The England national team will initiate their Euro 2028 journey at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the relatively straightforward passage for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an England men’s match since the spring of 2016, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The English side are planned 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 take place at the Newcastle stadium. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The event was launched at an event in a London landmark on the previous evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the site by about 50 activists, who called for the Israeli team to be removed from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a match that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host both semi-finals and the championship match, which will be staged on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an afternoon start, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will cater to households and help reach a more diverse set of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at Hampden Park.

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

Venues and Playoffs

Villa Park and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight played at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its emotion and ability to foster unity.”

More than three million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are projected to be released to fans.