Euro 2028: UK and Ireland announce joint bid to host tournament and rule out 2030 World Cup proposal

England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have announced a joint bid to host Euro 2028, and will drop proposals to stage the 2030 World Cup.

The five football associations have come to a collective decision after what the FA called “an extensive feasibility study” based on the economic

impact, the political football landscape and likely costs of hosting the tournament – and with a UEFA deadline of March 23 to submit applications looming fast.

In making the decision, the five nations have jointly agreed not to bid for the 2030 World Cup, an aim which was included in the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto but which was felt had an increasingly slim chance of success.

“On balance, the five associations have decided to focus solely on an official bid to host UEFA EURO 2028, and have agreed not to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Hosting a UEFA EURO offers a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner,” a joint statement from the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland said.

“It would be an honour and a privilege to collectively host UEFA EURO 2028 and to welcome all of Europe. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the true impact of hosting a world-class football tournament by driving positive change and leaving a lasting legacy across our communities.

“We believe the UK and the Republic of Ireland can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 – a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans.”

England’s Wembley Stadium hosted eight games at Euro 2020, including both of the semi-finals and final, which Gareth Southgate’s side lost to Italy on penalties.

Significant crowd trouble at the final was later condemned by an FA report which found only “near misses” avoided fatalities occurring around the ground.

Four games were also played at Hampden Park in Scotland, the first and only time any of the other nations in the joint bid has hosted matches at a major finals.

Dublin’s Aviva Stadium had also been due to host four games, but as a consequence of the Covid pandemic its matches were redistributed to St Petersburg and London.

UEFA is considering increasing the size of the European Championships to 32 teams for the 2028 tournament, matching the current World Cup size, having already raised the number to 24 from 16 between 2016 and 2020.

In announcing its part in the joint bid, Football Association of Wales president Stephen Williams said: “Here in Wales, The Red Wall have a special affinity with the European Championships and for us to potentially see Cymru participating as a host country at UEFA EURO 2028 is an exciting prospect.

“I’m incredibly proud that the Football Association of Wales is supporting this bid alongside the football associations of Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the Republic of Ireland.

“The positive impact that this will have on Wales as a whole is immeasurable and will leave a long-lasting legacy.”

Government ‘still passionate’ about future World Cup bid
A Government statement released on the back of the announcement said it “accepted” that the time was not right to continue with plans to bring the 2030 World Cup to the UK, while suggesting its intention remained to bid for the global tournament at a later date.

It read: “Following a full feasibility study, and in light of the current uncertainty around the future format of the tournament, we accept the conclusion of the five football associations that now is not the moment to proceed with a bid. We remain passionate about bringing a World Cup to the UK and Ireland when the time is right.

“Meanwhile, the UEFA European Championships are one of the biggest global sporting events. Hosting the full tournament would be an exciting opportunity, bringing significant benefits to the whole of the UK and Ireland. That is why we have initiated work to explore the possibility of bidding to host EURO 2028.

“We are looking closely at the outcome of this work and, subject to further discussions, hope to be able to confirm Government support for a bid in the coming weeks.”

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