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England’s men’s team will initiate their Euro 2028 campaign at the the home of Manchester City, provided that they achieve the relatively straightforward passage for a championship hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not staged an English men’s match since May 2016, when the visitors were overcome 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to stage the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their round of 16 match would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean starting the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Protest

The tournament was launched at an ceremony in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from European football’s governing body and the host football associations were barracked as they approached the location by about 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the conflict in Gaza.

Placards were raised with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the final, which will be held on Sunday 9 July with a start time at 5pm.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from the following campaign, will appeal to households and help connect with a more diverse set of fans.

Participating Countries

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and Scotland would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

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

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and The North London arena complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at each country’s national stadium.

The draw for the qualifiers will be held in the Northern Irish capital, which was dropped as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a championship for the fans and a showcase of everything we love about the game – its fervor and capacity to unite individuals.”

Over 3 million passes, a record for a men’s European Championship, are expected to be released to fans.