UK & Ireland set to host Euro 2028 Championships

In a recent statement, the UEFA have confirmed that the 2028 Euro tournament will be awarded to the UK-Ireland big pending committee approval, after Turkey withdrew from their joint bid with Italy to instead host the 2032 Euro Championships.

The association confirmed news of the unopposed Turkey-Italy joint bid for the 2032 tournament, explaining why the nations pulled out from their 2028 bid. UEFA will meet in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday, October 10 to confirm the next two European Championships hosts.

A statement from UEFA reads, "Further to the announcement on 28 July which revealed the desire of the Italian and Turkish FAs to submit a joint bid to stage UEFA Euro 2032, the UEFA administration has today written to both associations to confirm that their joint bid has been duly received and will go forward for assessment and consideration by the UEFA Executive Committee.”

With no opposition to their bid, it is expected that the UK & Ireland will partner to host the 2028 tournament, with The Aviva Stadium and the unbuilt Casement Park in Belfast listed among 10 confirmed venues for the combined Irish and UK bid.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke of the opportunity to host the tournament, saying, “I think that's going to be great for football. I think it's going to be great for the country. I think it's a good thing for UK-Ireland relations and something I will discuss with the Prime Minister when we meet in Granada tomorrow.” The Taoiseach and Prime Minister are also expected to discuss the funding of Casement Park in the event of hosting at the venue.

Mr. Varadkar also shared that Aviva would be one of two ideal stadium choices, as the Dublin venue is already built. "The other one we need - and which I think is really crucial - is Casement Park in Belfast, and we're in discussions with the Ulster GAA Council and also the British government as to how we can make a contribution to the cost of building that new stadium.”

If the bid is successful, the lengthy wait for the building of Casement Park will begin, despite delays in grant planning approval as of last year. The development cost is projected around £112m-£140m, a number which has skyrocketed since the stadium’s original funding plan in 2013. The news of the UEFA bid is great news for Ulster GAA, who are now counting on the possibility of playing at the stadium in late 2025.

The other 8 stadiums listed as host choices are Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, the new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium in Everton, Villa Park and St James' Park in England, Hampden Park in Scotland and Wales’ Cardiff National Stadium.

The Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne, shared with RTÉ News at One, "It's the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The idea that we are working with Northern Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland is hugely significant.

"It’s much-needed now in the post-Brexit environment and the difficulties we’ve had among these islands in recent years. It’s really, really positive and sport can bring us together."

The UEFA statement further details that the award of both the 2028 and 2032 tournaments just requires approval of the executive committee, scheduled for October 10. "The presentations at that meeting will be an important part of the process which will take due consideration of the content of the bid submissions before reaching a decision,” says the statement.

The decision of which nation will host at the list of venue options will rely upon qualification, as UEFA traditionally reserves a maximum of two automatic spots for hosts. It is likely all five nations will be up for qualification, with two nations reserved as potential wildcard options. Ireland last qualified for the Euro Championships in 2016, succeeded by France.

Last year, the government shared that the economic benefits of Ireland hosting the Championships would be €361 million, a number estimated after a lengthy and objective cost-benefit analysis.