England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have submitted a joint Expression of Interest (EOI) to host the European Championship in 2028, the countries’ Football Associations said on Wednesday.
Britain and Ireland had last month announced plans for a bid to host the tournament after dropping plans to bid for the 2030 World Cup following a feasibility study. Read full story
“The governments of the UK, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have confirmed their support for the EOI submission and, given the Northern Ireland Executive is currently not meeting formally, officials there continue to observe the process closely,” they said in a joint statement.
“Over the coming months, we will develop our proposals further, subject to the publication by UEFA of the full technical specification.
“This includes engaging in discussions with possible host cities and stadia to define the optimum tournament, model and conducting a full costs and benefits analysis.”
UEFA said in October that countries interested in hosting the 2028 European Championship must confirm their bid by March 23. The list of bidders will be announced in April while the hosts will be appointed in September 2023.
Minimum requirements include having 10 stadiums available, with one having a capacity of at least 60,000 and two venues with at least 50,000 seats.
Europe’s soccer governing body also said automatic qualification as hosts would not be guaranteed if more than two countries submit a joint bid.
The 2024 tournament will be hosted by Germany.
REUTERS