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England’s men’s team will embark on their UEFA Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, assuming they attain the expected qualification for a championship taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not staged an Three Lions game since May 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a friendly, but is highly likely to stage the England side for their first match on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are set to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their knockout stage opener would occur at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean commencing the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The event was inaugurated at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. Senior figures from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they entered the site by approximately 50 pro-Palestine demonstrators, who called for Israel to be expelled from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Placards were held up with phrases stating “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators chanted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the European Championship will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will involve the Welsh team if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a start time at late afternoon.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for European club finals from next season, will appeal to households and help engage a wider spectrum of fans.

Host Nations

The Irish team are scheduled to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

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

Venues and Elimination Phase

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground finalize the nine host stadiums. Every stadium will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight held at each country’s national stadium.

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

Tournament Vision

“It will be a tournament for the fans and a celebration of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and power to foster unity.”

In excess of three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a UEFA European Championship, are expected to be made available to attendees.