The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are on the brink of being announced as hosts for the 2028 European Championships. The announcement is expected to be made at a UEFA meeting in Switzerland on Tuesday. This comes after Turkey, the only other contender, withdrew from the bidding process last week.
The bid for the 2028 European Championships is a five-nation effort, now running unopposed. The nations involved are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Despite the lack of competition, the bid still requires official approval from UEFA.
A joint statement from the UK nations & Republic of Ireland read:
"These are exciting times and we have a very compelling Euro 2028 proposal for Uefa."
"Our bid will be groundbreaking for the men's Euros and will deliver lasting legacies across the whole of the UK and Ireland."
Wembley, Hampden and Aviva among proposed stadiums
The 2028 tournament is set to be held at ten different grounds across the UK and Ireland. These include Glasgow's Hampden Park, Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Dublin's Aviva Stadium, and London's Wembley. Belfast's Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock, the latter still under construction, are also included in the bid.
This will be a first for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, as they have never hosted a major tournament before. England, on the other hand, has a rich history of hosting major football events, including the 1966 World Cup, Euro 96, and the record-breaking Women's European Championships in 2022.
Wembley is expected to host the final in 2028, a significant test for the 90,000-capacity venue following the chaos that surrounded its hosting of the Euro 2020 final. A review into the disorder at the final found that "ticketless, drunken and drugged-up thugs" could have caused death as they stormed the stadium.
UK & Ireland abandon chance to host 2030 World Cup
The UK and Republic of Ireland decided to focus on a Euro 2028 bid, with UEFA's approval, after abandoning a plan to be Europe's preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup. Meanwhile, Turkey had bid to host both Euro 2028 and 2032. They waited for their joint bid with Italy for the 2032 tournament to be approved before withdrawing from the race to host Euro 2028.
Germany is set to host the 2024 edition of the tournament, with the last Championships being played in 2021 instead of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Italy, the reigning European champions, are set to co-host the 2032 tournament with Turkey. Italy has previously hosted the Euros in 1968 and 1980, and Rome's Stadio Olimpico was also a venue at Euro 2020.
The Euro 2028 tournament promises to be an exciting event for sports fans and sports betting fans alike. With the UK and Ireland set to host, it will be a unique opportunity to witness the beautiful game in some of the most iconic stadiums in the world.
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