Euro 2028: UK and Ireland bid to host tournament set for approval by UEFA

The United Kingdom and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 is expected to receive official approval on Tuesday.

UEFA’s executive committee is expected to give the green light to the five-nation bid, which faces no opposition after Turkey withdrew last week to focus on its joint Euro 2032 bid with Italy.

Ten stadiums were included in the UK and Ireland’s bid in April. Six of the sites are in England, including one each in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The six in England are Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad Stadium, St James’ Park, Villa Park and Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock.

The redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff are the other stadiums included in the bid.

Even with Turkey in the running, the five-nation bid was the overwhelming favorite.

Senior UEFA sources have highlighted the importance of a new Euro in a major football market, following next year’s tournament in Germany, as European football’s governing body looks to further rebuild its reserves after the financial shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The five countries issued a joint statement last week following Turkey’s withdrawal, saying they had a “compelling” and “groundbreaking” proposal for UEFA to consider, which would leave a “lasting legacy” for the group of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

However, there remain some major issues that need to be resolved if the UK and Ireland’s application is accepted by the ExCo.

For starters, the Casement Park site is derelict and the Gaelic Athletic Association’s plans to redevelop it with a capacity of 34,000 have been mired in controversy and faced delays.

The Casement project has been delayed by a series of legal challenges and is further complicated by the absence of a functioning executive at Stormont.

The redevelopment has also been hit by rising costs, with an initial price projected almost a decade ago of £77.5m now thought to be well over £100m.

The GAA is part-funding the project but has yet to reach an agreement with Stormont on how to make up a multi-million pound deficit.

Wembley is set to host the final in 2028, another major test for the 90,000-capacity venue after the chaos surrounding the staging of the Euro 2020 final.

Football Association president Debbie Hewitt said in June: “One of the things I’m absolutely sure the UEFA executive committee will ask us is: ‘How can you ensure that no one will take any action? ‘storm the turnstiles?’

“We need to convince each of these Executive Committee members that we have not only thought about it, but that we have planned for it – that we know what we would do, in what order and who is responsible for it.”

England manager Gareth Southgate said it was a “brilliant opportunity” for the nations involved and added: “They will be extremely proud to host and if the teams also qualify then there is obviously a home advantage to also welcome.”

Qualification of all hosts is not guaranteed.

UEFA’s preferred approach is for all five nations to qualify, with two host country places reserved for those who do not make it.

However, if more than two do not qualify, only the top two absentees will be awarded a place in the host country.