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The England national team will embark on their Euro 2028 adventure at the the home of Manchester City, on the condition that they achieve the anticipated entry for a tournament hosted across the majority of the UK and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s game since eight years ago, when Turkey were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to welcome the Three Lions for their inaugural game on a Saturday in June 2028.

England are planned to play their last two group stage games at Wembley, but, if they top their group, their last-16 tie would occur at St James’ Park. Placing second would mean beginning the elimination stage at Everton’s ground.

Tournament Kickoff and Rally

The event was unveiled at an event in a London landmark on Wednesday evening. High-ranking officials from Uefa and the host FAs were heckled as they arrived the site by approximately 50 activists, who urged Israel’s national side to be kicked out from international football because of the situation in Gaza.

Signs were held up with messages saying “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while demonstrators called out: “Kick Israel out.”

Event Schedule

The first match of Euro 2028 will be played at the Cardiff’s stadium in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will feature Wales if they qualify.

The national stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the final, which will be held on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.

It is expected that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will cater to family audiences and help engage a broader range of viewers.

Qualifying Teams

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

Each host nation’s squad will enter the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be held in reserve for any that miss out on the finals through the standard process.

Locations and Playoffs

Aston Villa’s stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finalize the nine tournament locations. Each one will hold at least one knockout match, with the last eight played at every host’s main arena.

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

Leadership Comment

“This will be a tournament for the supporters and a showcase of everything we value about the football – its fervor and power to bring people together.”

More than three million tickets, a unprecedented number for a Euro tournament, are projected to be released to fans.