Uefa has officially announced that the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland will host the European Championship in 2028.
The summit in Switzerland validated the combined offer, which ran uncontested after Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032.
After abandoning their bid to host the 2030 World Cup as Europe’s top choice, the United Kingdom and Ireland shifted their attention to Euro 2028 with Uefa’s blessing.
Games at Euro 2020 were held in London’s Wembley Stadium and Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, said he would “like the national stadium of Wales to host the opening match,” but that the final decision is “up to Uefa.”
“To bring the tournament to Wales is a special day for us,” he told reporters. Excited, we say! We’ve proposed a calendar of games, and we’re excited for the first one to be held in Cardiff.
“We hope by hosting, and having these big matches in Cardiff, we can bring Wales to the world in a way it hasn’t been before.”
At the presentation in Nyon, former Wales captain Gareth Bale said, “For me as a Welshman, I would love for Cardiff to host the opening match.” We have the necessary facilities, including a stadium.
No major football tournament has ever been held in any of the three Irish countries (Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales).
Wembley, Hampden Park, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium will all play host to matches during Euro 2028. The bid also included Casement Park in Belfast and Bramley-Moore Dock in Everton, both of which are yet to be constructed.
Both England and Scotland are among the eleven countries hosting Euro 2020. England also hosted the 1966 World Cup and Euro ’96 on its own. In 2022, England played home to the Women’s European Championship, which set a new tournament record.
Turkey had originally bid to host both Euro 2028 and 2032, whereas Italy had just applied for the 2032 event.
After their application with Italy for Euro 2032 was approved by European football’s governing body last week, Turkey withdrew from the running to host Euro 2028 last week.
Twenty stadiums have been identified as possibilities, but only ten will be selected by October 2026; five in each participating country.
The Champions League final in June between Manchester City and Inter Milan was played at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium, yet Turkey has never hosted a major international tournament.
Winners of Europe The Italian capital of Rome, Stadio Olimpico, has previously played home to the European Championships twice (1968 and 1980).
Germany will play host to Euro 2024 after the tournament was moved to 2021 from 2020 owing of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Will all five of the home nations be guaranteed a spot in the tournament?
When a major tournament is hosted, the hosts normally gain automatic qualification.
All five co-hosting nations may not automatically qualify, though.
Uefa states in its bid guidelines: “In case of more than two joint-host associations, the automatic qualification of all the host teams cannot be guaranteed and shall be subject to a decision to be made in conjunction with decisions concerning the qualifying competition.”
There is a possibility that three teams will be left out because Uefa is only likely to give two spots.
There has been discussion of all five countries making an effort to qualify, with two ‘backstop’ qualification positions available for those who fall short; in this scenario, the two teams with the best combined standing among those that did not make the cut would advance.
Uefa officials reportedly have concerns about the effect this ‘backdoor’ admittance for non-qualified nations could have on the organization’s standard qualifying procedure.
The Football Association reportedly prefers that England qualify for Euro 2028 on its own merits rather than receiving a direct invitation from Uefa. This was reported by BBC Sport.
They came to this conclusion after deciding that this would serve as better preparation for the competition than a string of friendly games.
“I think every team would want to qualify on merit, want to go in playing well,” Bale commented.
After a successful campaign, you can confidently enter the competition. Those two empty seats are a safety net in case of emergency. Every team should make every effort to qualify, and ideally they would all make it naturally.
U.K. and I. Venues hosting Euro 2028 matches
Is there hope for the timely completion of Casement Park and the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium for Everton?
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland’s offer was narrowed down to 10 main points in April.
Several obstacles, including protracted legal challenges, have delayed the intended reconstruction of Belfast’s Casement Park site, which is set to be a 34,500-capacity stadium after initial plans for a 38,000-seater were rejected.
In order to be ready for the event two years from now, construction has not yet begun.
The Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, home of Everton, is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
With the exception of Casement Park, all of the host stadiums will have capacities of more over 50,000, and some, like Etihad Stadium, will even be able to expand to accommodate even more spectators.
After the mayhem that ensued during its hosting of the Euro 2020 final, Wembley’s 90,000-capacity stadium will be put to the test when it hosts the final in 2028.
According to a report on the chaos at the championship game, “ticketless, drunken, and drugged-up thugs” invaded the stadium and may have caused fatalities.
When can we expect to purchase tickets?
The FA has not yet revealed when tickets will go on sale, despite claiming that more than three million will be made available for the tournament.
The FA predicts that 2.5 million people from the UK and Ireland will attend Uefa festivals.
And what about long-term viability?
The environmental impact of events sponsored by many countries has come under fire.
The FA claims that more than 80% of fans will be able to use public transportation to get to and from games, and that the timetable will be designed to minimize carbon emissions.
An “inclusive, discrimination-free, and equal work environment for colleagues and volunteers” will be provided, as well as the introduction of a personal carbon footprint tracker for spectators, in accordance with Uefa’s large event human rights guidelines.
The events of Euro 2020.
Two years ago, England and Scotland hosted matches at the postponed Euro 2020, with the final taking place at London’s Wembley Stadium. The country will be eager to make amends for the missteps it took during that tournament.
An investigation into the mayhem at the championship game revealed that “ticketless, drunken, and drugged-up thugs” could have been a lethal threat when they stormed the stadium.
In her report, Baroness Casey blamed a “collective failure” in preparation for the match, to which approximately 2,000 persons gained unauthorized access.
It found that there were 17 simultaneous breaks in disabled access gates and emergency fire exits.
The “appalling scene of disorder,” according to Lady Casey, caused a “day of national shame.”
As Italy beat England in a penalty shootout to win the European Championship, the Metropolitan Police Department made 51 arrests in connection with the game.
After the game, racist comments were made about several players, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka.
Uefa punished England by having them play a match behind closed doors and fining the FA 100,000 euros for the disturbances.
It was a sad day for English football, FA chair Debbie Hewitt remarked after the final of the Euro tournament.
“We did an independent review after that tournament and thought very hard about the security, it comes first,” according to her.
If spectators don’t feel secure at a tournament, it’s not a good environment for anyone to be. We want to be known as the hosts of the best and safest tournaments.
“Motivate the next generation” – audience response
The competition is expected to bring in up to £3 billion (around £2.6 billion), which will be used to fund improvements to grassroots facilities across the UK and Ireland.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “One of the most amazing memories of my childhood is watching England beat France in Euro ’96.” And just like last year with the Lionesses, we have an opportunity to do it all over again for a lot more people. We’re the best tournament hosts around. The economic impact will be enormous. Millions of people are going to flood into the country, and that will spark a new wave of creativity.
After the joint UK and Ireland application was successful, Mark Drakeford, the first minister of Wales, said, “Fantastic to learn that Wales will host Uefa Euro 2028 matches. Together, we will present a tournament that will showcase the very best of what Wales has to offer.
“Football is Scotland’s national game and a powerful force for good in communities right across the country,” said Humza Yousaf, the first minister of Scotland. Scotland’s hosting of the Euros will bring several benefits, including financial ones from tourists but also the development of a more inclusive and varied game all throughout the country thanks to a robust legacy package.
“I am over the moon that Ireland and the UK will co-host Euro 2028,” said Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, or Taoiseach. Many thanks to everyone who helped FA Ireland win the bid. Together, our islands will be hosting the largest event in their history.
