UK and Ireland launch joint bid to host Euro 2028 - but rule out World Cup proposal

The UK and Ireland have launched a joint bid to host Euro 2028 – but have ruled out submitting a proposal for the World Cup two years later.

The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland the Republic announced the Euros plan, which comes after Wembley hosted the final of the delayed 2020 tournament last summer.

The five nations have agreed not to go ahead with a bid for the 2030 World Cup, an aim that was included in the Conservatives 2019 election manifesto.

It was felt the World Cup bid 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,” the football associations said in a joint statement.

“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.

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“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.”

The deadline for the joint bid for Euro 2028 is on 23 March, with the hosts expected to be announced in September 2023, while Euro 2024 will be held in Germany.

Trial run at EURO 2020

England and Scotland hosted 12 games between them during last summer’s delayed Euro 2020 tournament, while Dublin’s Aviva Stadium was due to host four games but the matches were moved to London and St Petersburg due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Eight games were held at Wembley, including both semi-finals and the final – which Gareth Southgate’s side lost to Italy on penalties.

The match was overshadowed by significant crowd trouble, which was later condemned by an FA report, which found only “near misses” avoided fatalities occurring at the ground.

In October, UEFA ordered England to play a match behind closed doors, which means a Nations League game later this year will be played without fans present.

European football’s governing body also ordered the FA to pay an £85,000 fine as well as a second match behind closed doors, which is suspended for two years.

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Hampden Park hosted four games, the first and only time any other nation in the joint big has hosted at a major finals.

Euro 2020 matches were held across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the tournament and there could be further changes to the championships in 2028, with UEFA considering increasing the size to 32 teams, matching the current World Cup format.

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