Euro 2028: UK and Ireland announce joint bid to host tournament and rule out 2030 World Cup proposal | Football News
England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have announced a joint bid to host Euro 2028, and will drop proposals to stage the 2030 World Cup.
The five football associations have come to a collective decision after what the FA called “an extensive feasibility study” based on the economic impact, the political football landscape and likely costs of hosting the tournament – and with a UEFA deadline of March 23 to submit applications looming fast.
In making the decision, the five nations have jointly agreed not to bid for the 2030 World Cup, an aim which was included in the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto but which was felt had an increasingly slim chance of success.
“On balance, the five associations have decided to focus solely on an official bid to host UEFA EURO 2028, and have agreed not to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. 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,” the Football Association said in a statement.
“It would be an honour and a privilege to collectively host UEFA EURO 2028 and to welcome all of Europe. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the true impact of hosting a world-class football tournament by driving positive change and leaving a lasting legacy across our communities.
“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.”
England’s Wembley Stadium hosted eight games at Euro 2020, including both of the semi-finals and final, which Gareth Southgate’s side lost to Italy on penalties.
Significant crowd trouble at the final was later condemned by an FA report which found only “near misses” avoided fatalities occurring around the ground.
Four games were also played at Hampden Park in Scotland, the first and only time any of the other nations in the joint bid has hosted matches at a major finals.
Dublin’s Aviva Stadium had also been due to host four games, but as a consequence of the Covid pandemic its matches were redistributed to St Petersburg and London.
UEFA is considering increasing the size of the European Championships to 32 teams for the 2028 tournament, matching the current World Cup size, having already raised the number to 24 from 16 between 2016 and 2020.
