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The English squad will commence their Euro 2028 campaign at the Etihad Stadium, provided that they secure the relatively straightforward qualification for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a friendly, but is almost certain to host the national team for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, in the event of winning the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at Newcastle’s St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean beginning the playoffs at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The championship was launched at an gathering in a London landmark on the previous evening. Senior figures from the tournament organizers and the host football associations were confronted as they approached the venue by around fifty protesters, who urged Israel to be removed from global football because of the Gaza crisis.

Placards were held up with phrases reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters shouted: “Kick Israel out.”

Championship Fixture List

The opening game of Euro 2028 will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in Cardiff, on a Friday in June 2028, a game that will involve the Dragons if they make it.

Wembley Stadium will host the two semi-final matches and the title decider, which will be staged on July 9, 2028 with a commencement at 5pm.

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

Qualifying Teams

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

The national sides of all four hosts will enter the qualification process; two guaranteed slots will be reserved for any that do not reach Euro 2028 through the standard process.

Venues and Elimination Phase

Aston Villa’s stadium and The North London arena complete the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarterfinal matches held at every host’s main arena.

The qualifying draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it was revealed the Belfast stadium could not be upgraded in time, on a date in late 2026.

Tournament Vision

“The event will be a championship for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

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