The joint bid from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland is set to be selected as the host nations for Euro 2028.
It is the only bid left standing after Turkey withdrew its interest in hosting what will be the eighteenth edition of the European Championships. It comes after Turkey concentrated its efforts on a joint bid with Italy to stage the 2032 tournament instead.
Embed from Getty ImagesUEFA will confirm the winning bids for both tournaments on Tuesday, October 10th.
Euro 2028 Stadiums
Matches will be played in ten different stadiums across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England.
AVIVA STADIUM, DUBLIN (Capacity: 51,711)
Home to the Irish national rugby team and the Republic of Ireland national football team, the Aviva Stadium – also known as Lansdowne Road – is the only Dublin-based stadium selected. Croke Park, which primarily holds Gaelic football, was included in the preliminary fourteen stadium shortlist but failed to make the cut.
The Aviva Stadium will also host the 2024 Europa League final, having previously been the venue for the 2011 final of that same tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesCASEMENT PARK, BELFAST (Proposed capacity after redevelopment: 34,500)
Based in the capital of Northern Ireland, Casement Park is perhaps the most controversial selection of the ten stadia. It was widely expected the Belfast representation would come from Windsor Park, given it is where the Northern Ireland national football team play their matches. The decision was also questioned due to Casement Park being out of use since 2013 and needing a complete rebuilding project to become UEFA standard. The construction is set to finish in 2025.
The ground is named after Roger Casement, an Irish nationalist who was executed for treason for his role in the 1916 Easter Rising, a rebellion that sought to relinquish British rule over Ireland.
Embed from Getty ImagesHAMPDEN PARK, GLASGOW (Capacity: 51,866)
The famous home of the Scotland national football team and second-tier side Queen’s Park FC, Hampden Park will be the sole Scottish stadium on show. Now the bid is successful, it could see a development that would take it up to a 65,000 capacity, but those plans are not yet confirmed.
Hampden was one of the selected stadiums for the cross-continent Euro 2020, staging three group matches and the round of 16 tie between Sweden and Ukraine. It also has a rich history in the European Cup and Champions League having played host to the final three times, most recently in 2001/02 when Real Madrid triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen.
PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, CARDIFF (Capacity: 73,931)
Also known as the National Stadium of Wales and the Millennium Stadium, due to it first opening near the turn of the century, the main tenants of the Principality Stadium are the Welsh national teams in both rugby and football.
In recent years it has also put on boxing and WWE events as well as hosting the 2017 Champions League final, with Real Madrid winning their twelfth title against Juventus in the Welsh capital.
Embed from Getty ImagesWEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON (Capacity: 90,000)
The largest stadium in the UK and Ireland bid, it is likely Wembley will replicate Euro 2020 and the 2022 Women’s Euros by hosting the final of the tournament again. It is the home of the England national football team, with the ‘New Wembley’ being opened in 2007 as a replacement for the ‘Old’ one, which was demolished in 2003.
A number of major games and events have been held there down the years. It is the perennial venue of the EFL Cup and FA Cup finals and will stage the 2024 Champions League final at the end of this season. It also regularly welcomes the NFL for the league’s London Games.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM, LONDON (Capacity: 62,850)
The one billion pound stadium opened in 2019 and is home to the North London club namesakes. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was specially designed to host association football and American football matches, with a separate pitch being retractable to share the NFL London Games with Wembley.
No international football has taken place at the stadium at the time of writing, but it has become a popular multi-purpose venue, hosting boxing and rugby alongside its main two sports.
Embed from Getty ImagesVILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM (Proposed capacity after redevelopment: 50,065)
Alongside Wembley and St James’ Park, Villa Park is one of three stadiums that remain from Euro 1996, the last international football tournament solely staged in Britain. It has been the home of Aston Villa since its opening in 1897.
It has also held rugby matches during the 2015 Rugby World Cup and also rolled the red carpet out for Archbishop Desmond Tutu for religious gatherings in 1989.
Embed from Getty ImagesST JAMES’ PARK, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (Capacity: 52,305)
The long-time stadium of Newcastle United, St James’ Park has been used for football since 1880. With Wembley, the Principality Stadium and Hampden Park, it was one of six venues used for football at the London 2012 Olympics.
Champions League football returned to its doors last week when Newcastle thrashed Paris Saint-Germain 4-1. Its most recent use for international football was for the Saudi Arabian national football team and their friendlies against Costa Rica and South Korea.
Embed from Getty ImagesETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER (Proposed capacity: 61,474)
Known as the City of Manchester Stadium before the Etihad Airlines sponsorship in 2011, the home of treble winners Manchester City is set for further development that will see it increase its capacity in the coming years from its current 53,400.
It was the setting for the 2008 UEFA Cup final between Zenit St Petersburg and Rangers and last hosted an England international in 2016.
Embed from Getty ImagesEVERTON STADIUM, LIVERPOOL (Proposed capacity after construction: 52,888)
Similar to Casement Park, the future home of Everton FC is yet to be built. Construction is ongoing for the ground, which is aiming to open its turnstiles in 2024.
The stadium’s existence will see the closure and eventual demolition of Goodison Park, which has been the Toffees’ home ground since 1892.
Embed from Getty ImagesUEFA Euro 2028 will be held in June and July of 2028. The next tournament is in 2024 and will take place in Germany.
