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England’s men’s team will initiate their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected entry for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when Turkey were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to host the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, if they top the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would take place at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Competition Launch and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an ceremony in Piccadilly Circus on Wednesday night. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the organizing bodies were confronted as they approached the site by approximately 50 protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be kicked out from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Banners were held up with messages stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Timeline

The opening game of the tournament will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature the Dragons if they qualify.

Wembley will host the two semi-final matches and the championship match, which will be played on a Sunday in July 2028 with a kick-off time at late afternoon.

It is hoped that an afternoon start, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help connect with a wider spectrum of fans.

Qualifying Teams

The Ireland are due to play their opening match at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would play similarly at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualification process; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the event’s nine venues. Every stadium will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be staged in Belfast, which was excluded as a host city last year when it became clear the proposed venue could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“This will be a competition for the followers and a celebration of everything we cherish about the football – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a all-time high for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be released to attendees.