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The England national team will commence their Euro 2028 journey at the the home of Manchester City, assuming they achieve the relatively straightforward entry for a competition taking place in the majority of the UK and the Irish Republic.

Manchester City’s home ground has not welcomed an England men’s match since eight years ago, when Turkey were defeated 2-1 in a exhibition match, but is almost certain to welcome the England side for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are set to play their last two group stage games at the national stadium, but, in the event of winning Group B, their last-16 tie would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the playoffs at Everton’s ground.

Competition Launch and Protest

The tournament was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on Wednesday night. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the location by about 50 protesters, who urged the Israeli team to be removed from global football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were displayed with slogans reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while activists called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The opening game of the European Championship will be held at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a fixture that will include Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the title decider, which will be held on a Sunday in July 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is hoped that an earlier kick-off, which will also be implemented for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Republic of Ireland are set to play their first game at the Aviva Stadium and Scotland would play similarly at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

All four host countries’ teams will enter the qualification process; two automatic spots will be set aside for any that fail to qualify for the finals through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight staged at the national stadium of each host.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was removed as a tournament location last year when it was revealed Casement Park could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.

Leadership Comment

“It will be a competition for the supporters and a festival of everything we value about the sport – its passion and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million passes, a record for a Euro tournament, are expected to be released to attendees.