Here is everything you need to know about the bid.
The UK and Ireland are set to launch a bid to host Euro 2028. Here’s everything you need to know about the bid, including the stadiums likely to be used, the rival bids and the tournament’s qualification process.
Who is part of the bid to host Euro 2028?
The football associations of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland announced on Monday that they will submit a joint bid to host the European Championships in 2028.
If the bid is successful; the Euros will be staged across five countries.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
The UK and Ireland announce a joint bid for Euro 2028 and rule out 2030 World Cup proposal ❌ pic.twitter.com/adYXZUnpZQ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 7, 2022
Why have they not bid for the 2030 World Cup?
The five associations were exploring the possibility of bidding for the centenary World Cup.
However, the plans to bid for the 2030 World Cup were abandoned because the UK and Ireland were unlikely to win.
CONFIRMED | Republic of Ireland & UK nations to bid for EURO 2028 🏆
Following an extensive feasibility study, we have agreed to focus on a bid to host UEFA EURO 2028, the third largest sports event in the world#EURO2028 | #WeAreOne | #WeAre100 pic.twitter.com/YEQFghLBUo
— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) February 7, 2022
“Hosting a UEFA Euro offers a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner,” a joint statement from the associations read.
“We believe the UK and the Republic of Ireland can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 – a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans.”
The European bid for the tournament is expected to be Spain-Portugal. While Fifa president Gianni Infantino has stated that the organisation wants to take the World Cup to new territories.
Why are there so many host nations for Euro 2028?
Euro 2028 is likely to feature 32 countries rather than the current format of 24 sides.
The tournament may need more host nations due to the addition of an extra eight participants. A 32-team tournament would feature 63 matches.
How many stadiums will host games at Euro 2028?
Euro 2028 will most likely be a 32-team tournament held in 15 venues.
According to reports on Tuesday, England will host the vast majority of games – 41 of the 63 matches.
Ireland and Scotland will both host seven games each. While Wales and Northern Ireland will host four matches each.
Which stadiums will host matches?
According to The Times, the most likely venues are:
England: Wembley Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Anfield, Old Trafford, Stadium of Light, Elland Road, St James’ Park, Villa Park, Etihad Stadium, and Everton’s new stadium (which is due to open in 2024).
Ireland: Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium.
Scotland: Hampden Park and Murrayfield.
Wales: The Principality Stadium.
Northern Ireland: Windsor Park or Casement Park, both of which would need to be redeveloped.
How many games will be staged in Ireland?
Ireland will reportedly host seven games in two different venues – the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park.
The tournament’s opening match will be held in Dublin, according to reports in the UK.
As it stands, Northern Ireland does not have a stadium capable of hosting games.
Their national team plays at Windsor Park, which has a capacity of 18,500 and is short of Uefa’s minimum capacity requirement of 30,000.
GAA ground Casement Park in west Belfast could be redeveloped into a 34,000-seater stadium. But the redevelopment plans are currently subject to a judicial review after objections from residential associations.
IFA CEO Patrick Nelson said he wants Northern Ireland to “play a full part” in Euro 2028 and that “nothing’s ruled in or out at this point.”
So, it remains to be seen if Northern Ireland will host games.
Casement Park in Belfast. (Image via Sportsfile).What other countries are bidding to host the tournament?
Turkey, who has unsuccessfully bid for every European Championships going back to Euro 2008, is, unsurprisingly, set to bid for the 2028 edition.
There could also be a four-country bid from Romania, Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria. Russia is understood to be considering a bid.
Italy is set to bid for the 2032 tournament instead of Euro 2028.
When will the winning bid be announced?
Uefa will announce the winning bid in September 2023.
Will Ireland qualify automatically for Euro 2028 if they are one of the host nations?
No. If Euro 2028 is to be held in multiple countries, all host nations must qualify for the finals. This means nothing to England, who always qualify for tournaments.
However, it could pose an issue for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, who have regularly missed out on qualification for major tournaments over the last 20 years.
Yet, if the tournament expands to 32 teams, the qualification process may be more manageable for the four nations. There are currently 55 Uefa nations.
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