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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the anticipated entry for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not hosted an Three Lions game since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to welcome the national team for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Opening and Demonstration

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were barracked as they arrived the location by around fifty protesters, who demanded Israel to be kicked out from the sport because of the situation in Gaza.

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

Tournament Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a fixture that will feature Wales if they qualify.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier start, which will also be used for UEFA Champions League finals from the following campaign, will attract family audiences and help connect with a wider spectrum of audiences.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their opening match at the Dublin Arena and Scotland would do the same at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will take part in the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be held in reserve for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the nine host stadiums. All 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 staged in Belfast, which was removed as a host city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on 6 December 2026.

Tournament Vision

“It will be a championship for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its passion and capacity to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million admissions, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are projected to be offered to attendees.