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England’s men’s team will embark on their 2028 European Championship adventure at the Etihad Stadium, on the condition that they secure the anticipated passage for a championship taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Ireland.

The Etihad Stadium has not hosted an English men’s fixture since the spring of 2016, when the visitors were beaten 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is expected to host the England side for their inaugural game on Saturday 10 June 2028.

The team are planned to play their final two group matches at Wembley Stadium, but, if they top their group, their round of 16 match would be held at St James’ Park. Finishing second would mean starting the knockouts at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Championship Opening and Rally

The event was launched at an gathering in central London on Wednesday evening. Key representatives from the tournament organizers and the host FAs were barracked as they arrived the site by around fifty pro-Palestine demonstrators, who demanded Israel’s national side to be removed from international football because of the Gaza crisis.

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

Championship Fixture List

The inaugural fixture of the tournament will be held at the the national stadium of Wales in the Welsh capital, on Friday 9 June, a game that will involve Wales if they secure a place.

Wembley Stadium will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on Sunday 9 July with a commencement at 5:00 PM.

It is expected that an afternoon start, which will also be used for Champions League finals from the upcoming season, will attract families and help reach a broader range of viewers.

Participating Countries

The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin Arena and the Scottish team would follow suit at the national stadium of Scotland.

The national sides of all four hosts will take part in the qualifying tournament; two reserved places will be reserved for any that miss out on the finals through that route.

Locations and Knockout Stage

The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground round out the nine tournament locations. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the last eight held at every host’s main arena.

The qualification draw will be conducted in Belfast, which was removed 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.

Leadership Comment

“The event will be a competition for the fans and a festival of everything we value about the football – its emotion and capacity to unite individuals.”

In excess of three million tickets, a record for a men’s European Championship, are anticipated to be offered to supporters.