THE ENGLAND-led bid to host Euro 2028 looks certain of success – after only rivals Turkey announced they now want to co-host the 2032 tournament.
Wembley bosses have long been confident of the success of the five nations British Isles bid, which will see games in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic as well as England.
GettyThe UK and Ireland is set to host Euro 2028[/caption]
Ten stadiums will host Euro 2028
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has also long been in the British Isles corner, especially after the five home associations withdrew from contention to host the 2030 World Cup, leaving Spain and Portugal’s joint bid to carry the European banner.
And although a formal decision to confirm the hosts will not take place until October, Uefa’s statement after talks with Turkey and Italy effectively means there is just one bid left standing for 2028.
A spokesman for the European confederation said: “Uefa confirms that it has received today a request from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to merge their individual bids into one joint bid to host Uefa Euro 2032.
“In 2021, Uefa initiated a bidding process for the hosting of two consecutive editions of its European Championship, in 2028 and 2032.
“TFF entered the process for both editions, while FIGC decided to bid only for the 2032 edition.
“A joint bid to host the 2028 edition has also been placed by five associations: England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
“Uefa will now work with FIGC and TFF to ensure that the documentation to be submitted for their joint bid is compliant with the bidding requirements.
“If the joint bid does comply with such requirements, it will be submitted to the UEFA Executive Committee at the meeting scheduled on 10 October, where the appointments for 2028 and 2032 will be made.
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“Decisions on venues and match schedules will be made at a later stage.”
The five nation bid will see 10 stadiums used across the British Isles, with Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London joined by the Etihad in Manchester, Newcastle’s St James Park, Villa Park and the soon to be completed new Everton stadium in England.
The other four nations will have one ground each – Hampden in Glasgow, the Principality in Cardiff, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium and the reconstructed Casement Park in Belfast.
Under Uefa regulations, all the grounds will be stripped of any sponsorship titles and be branded generically for the tournament.