UK and Ireland Stand Alone as Sole Bidders for UEFA Euro 2028
The United Kingdom and Ireland have emerged as the sole contenders to host the UEFA European Championship in 2028, as Turkey has officially withdrawn its bid to concentrate on a joint bid for the subsequent edition.
UEFA, the governing body for European football, confirmed today that it has accepted Italy and Turkey’s collaborative proposal to host the prestigious men’s national team tournament in 2032. This move leaves the UK and Ireland bid, which was jointly submitted by the soccer associations of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as the only remaining bid for the 2028 event.
In an official statement, UEFA stated, “The UEFA administration has today written to both associations [Italy and Turkey] to confirm that their joint bid has been duly received and will go forward for assessment and consideration by the UEFA executive committee. As indicated by the FA of Türkiye with its submission of the request for a joint bid, their bid to stage UEFA Euro 2028 is consequently withdrawn.”
Back in April, the Turkish Football Federation submitted a bid dossier, expressing their interest in hosting either Euro 2028 or Euro 2032. Meanwhile, the Italian Football Federation had put forward a bid specifically for Euro 2032.
The hosts for the next two editions of the competition will be officially confirmed on October 10 during a UEFA executive committee meeting.
UEFA’s governing body has stated, “The presentations at that meeting will be an important part of the process which will take due consideration of the content of the bid submissions before reaching a decision.”
While the decision on venues and match schedules will be made at a later stage, the joint bid by the UK and Ireland, represented by the soccer associations of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, continues to garner support from the respective governments of each participating nation.
UEFA has reconsidered its plans to expand the Euros to accommodate 32 teams in 2028 due to concerns raised by broadcasters. Broadcasters across Europe have expressed apprehension about the potential dilution of the commercial value of the qualifiers with such an expansion. UEFA had previously increased the Euros from 16 to 24 teams in 2016, but a 24-team format would still require only 10 stadiums for the tournament.
In April, the UK and Ireland had already shortlisted 10 stadiums as potential host venues. These include Villa Park in Birmingham, Everton Stadium in Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Wembley Stadium in London, Etihad Stadium in Manchester, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Casement Park Stadium in Belfast, Hampden Park in Glasgow, and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
It’s worth noting that hosting a major international soccer tournament in its entirety in the UK hasn’t occurred since 1996 when England hosted the Euros. Despite a previous bid to host the 2018 World Cup failing, the UK did host a significant portion of Euro 2020, with seven matches, including the semi-finals and final, held at Wembley Stadium. Scotland’s Hampden Park hosted four games during Euro 2020, while the Republic of Ireland’s Aviva Stadium had initially been slated for group-stage games but withdrew due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The next edition of the men’s Euros in 2024 is scheduled to take place in Germany.
