UK and Ireland submit bid to host Euro 2028

The United Kingdom and Ireland have submitted a bid to host the 2028 European Championships.

They have also revealed 14 stadiums shortlisted to host games. Matches could potentially take place in England at Wembley Stadium, Villa Park, Everton Stadium, London Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wembley, Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park, Stadium of Light and Old Trafford.

Teams may also play games in Dublin at the Aviva Arena and Croke Park, in Belfast at the Casement Park Stadium, in Glasgow at Hampden Park and Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

The nations will submit a list of ten approved stadiums to UEFA in 2023. The bid dossier set a clear and compelling vision for the tournament. The tournament slogan will be ‘Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future’.

“We are delighted that Government Partners of the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and officials in Northern Ireland, support this bid,” a joint statement from the five bidding associations read.

“Together, we believe we can deliver a world-class tournament, and that hosting Euro 2028 will achieve a strong and sustainable legacy for football and wider society, helping to drive economic growth in local communities.

“Working with UEFA, our plan is to host a tournament that will be a catalyst for transformational grassroots football development – with a promise to share legacy initiatives with European National Associations to accelerate growth across the continent.

“The UK and Ireland’s track record of hosting successful major sporting events over many decades means we have the expertise and experience to take this world-class tournament to new heights.”

Turkey poses the stiffest competition to the UK-Ireland bid. UEFA’s executive committee will meet in September next year to decide on hosting for Euro 2028 and Euro 2032.

The UK and Ireland initially took a feasibility study to understand the possibility of bidding for the 2030 World Cup, but they switched focus to the Euros.