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The English squad will initiate their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Manchester City’s stadium, on the condition that they attain the relatively straightforward entry for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

City’s stadium has not staged an England men’s fixture since May 2016, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on June 10, 2028.

The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Placing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Kickoff and Protest

The tournament was unveiled at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the location by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be kicked out from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with slogans saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Fixture List

The first match of the tournament will be played at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a fixture that will feature the Welsh team if they make it.

The national stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from next season, will cater to households and help reach a broader range of audiences.

Host Nations

The Ireland are scheduled to play their initial fixture at the Aviva Stadium and the Tartan Army would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for the tournament through the standard process.

Stadiums and Playoffs

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. Every stadium will hold at least one elimination game, with the last eight staged at every host’s main arena.

The draw for the qualifiers will be conducted in Belfast, which was dropped as a host city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a competition for the followers and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million admissions, a unprecedented number for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to fans.