Britain and Ireland are the only bidders left for Euro 2028 after Turkey withdrew their application.
On October 10, UEFA will reward the hosting of two European Championships: the 2028 and 2032 editions.
UEFA has confirmed that Turkey can bid unopposed alongside Italy for 2032 and has therefore withdrawn from the 2028 race.
A statement from UEFA confirmed: “Following the announcement on July 28 which showed the desire of the Italian and Turkish Football Associations to make a joint bid to host Euro 2032, the UEFA administration has today written to both associations to confirm that their joint bid has been executed. duly received and will be forwarded for review and consideration by the UEFA Executive Committee.
“As indicated by the Turkiye FA when submitting the request for a joint bid, their bid to host Euro 2028 is consequently withdrawn.
“The awarding of both tournaments still requires the approval of the Executive Committee at its meeting in Nyon on October 10. The presentations at that meeting will be an important part of the process, with due consideration given to the content of the submitted bids before a final decision is made. a decision.”
How can all host countries qualify for Euro 2028?
Some senior UEFA officials are concerned about the suggestion that England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland may still be allowed to play in Euro 2028 even if they are eliminated during qualifying.
Sky Sports News We’re told UEFA is adhering to rules that say no more than two host nations can be given automatic qualifying spots for the tournament finals.
As it would be impossible for the four home countries and Ireland to agree on which of them should receive special treatment, all five will participate in the competition in the qualifying rounds.
What happens next – and for each of the five countries that fail to qualify – is key to ongoing discussions.
It remains possible that the two ‘automatic’ qualifying places will be held in reserve and could be used by any of the five countries that do not qualify in the usual way.
However, Sky Sports News We are told that many within UEFA are “uneasy” about the idea of countries that have failed in qualifying being given a place in the final.
For example, if three of the five countries fail to qualify, it would be just as messy to decide which two of those three would advance to the tournament.
One possibility is that the two best-performing countries in qualifying will receive a “wild card” for the final.
Where are the games played?
The British and Irish submission proposes using ten stadiums by 2028. There is no Old Trafford and no Croke Park in Dublin in the bid. It is not surprising that England has the largest number of stadiums; it is the largest country and hosts the Premier League, where its facilities are the envy of many around the world.
In addition to Wembley, the stadiums of Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Everton represent England. In Wales, the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium is nominated ahead of Cardiff City Stadium.
Scotland has Hampden Park and Ireland has the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. In Northern Ireland, the redevelopment of Casement Park, a stadium used by the Gaelic Athletic Association, continues to be a cause for concern due to funding issues and the lack of a working government official at Stormont.
Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and former chief executive of UEFA, said: “It’s very collegial. We’ve put forward what we all want. It’s the bid that’s moving forward… For us we have I want to have group matches and then a few more matches.
“I think we are looking for four, five or six games. We would be very happy and I think some other associations would be happy too.”
Who would organize the final?
Wembley is the largest stadium, but faced problems during the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.
Although several of the submitted stadiums will house more than 60,000 fans in 2028, Mooney believes Wembley should be the focal point for the conclusion of Euro 2028.
“Britain is at the forefront of security and intelligence. The Euro 2020 final was a difficult day for many in terms of security – it was a shock because they are so good at managing these events,” he said.
“I would consider this a one-off event in this part of the world, and knowing what has been done with the report – which has been prepared and implemented – all those things are moving in the right direction. You can never do enough about it. security and I am sure we will have a fantastic security proposal.
“You look at a tournament to get as many people as possible to the games. It’s about getting access to this really glorious special tournament, that’s the principle we’re working on and based on that, Wembley has 90,000 people.
“Why would you deny tens of thousands of people access to a European Championship final because of politics? I think we should try to get as many people as possible to the games.”