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The England national team will embark on their 2028 European Championship campaign at the Manchester City’s stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament taking place in most of the United Kingdom and the Ireland.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s game since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is highly likely to stage the national team for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Securing the runner-up spot would mean beginning the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tournament Kickoff and Protest

The championship was inaugurated at an gathering in central London on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the site by approximately 50 protesters, who demanded Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were raised with phrases saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Tournament Timeline

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will include the Dragons if they make it.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5:00 PM.

It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will appeal to family audiences and help connect with a more diverse set of audiences.

Qualifying Teams

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

All four host countries’ teams will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that fail to qualify for Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Stadiums and Knockout Stage

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine host stadiums. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the quarterfinal matches played at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a venue city last year when it became clear Casement Park could not be upgraded in time, on 6 December 2026.

Leadership Comment

“This will be a competition for the supporters and a celebration of everything we love about the game – its passion and capacity to foster unity.”

More than three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are anticipated to be offered to attendees.