UK & Ireland set to host Euro 2028

The United Kingdom and Ireland is set to host Euro 2028 due to a lack of rival bids.

The two countries have initially been considering bidding for the 2030 World Cup, but readjusted their sights when it became clear they were unlikely to be successful.

According to the Times, the UK and Ireland should have a clear pathway to host the showpiece event in six years time, with no countries set to challenge them. UEFA is expected to formally announce that the Euros will be heading to the British Isles on 7 April.

The FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham recently said: “We believe we can put together an incredibly strong tournament in many ways. We also know we can deliver a really strong commercial return to Uefa and we feel that puts us in a strong position.

“UEFA are being very transparent with all 55 countries that they want to use the 2024 [in Germany] and 2028 men’s Euros to rebuild their coffers and rebuild their reserves, which they’ve had to use during the pandemic.”

It is expected that two-thirds of the matches would be played in England with the final taking place at Wembley. However, all of the home nations will host games, provided UEFA receive government guarantees by the end of the year.

These are said to include commitments on security, marketing and visas, as well as a UK income tax exemption on player earnings. If the UK cannot offer these guarantees, bidding will reopen.

Something that the government and FA will need to prove is that Wembley is fit to host high-profile games safely. The Euro 2020 final were marred by violent scenes and criminal damage with a report after the event even claiming that loss of life was only narrowly avoided.