Football/UK, Ireland, Italy, and Turkey Secure UEFA Euro Football Championships Hosting Rights
The UEFA announced the hosts for the upcoming European Football Championships, with the UK and Ireland set to host Euro 2028, while Turkey and Italy will host Euro 2032. This decision reflects a growing trend of joint hosting to reduce costs.
The UK and Ireland, as sole contenders, will succeed Germany as the hosts for Euro 2028.
This approach of shared hosting is becoming more common in the football world, with the FIFA also recently announcing a joint hosting arrangement for the 2030 World Cup involving Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
The decision to focus on Euro 2028 came after the five British Isles football federations realized that the Euro offers a similar return on investment as the World Cup but with lower delivery costs.
Unlike the expanding World Cup, the European Championship still features 24 teams and 51 matches, making it a more concentrated event.
The UK and Ireland had no competition in their bid for Euro 2028, as Turkey, which had previously vied for hosting rights, decided to partner with Italy for Euro 2032.
This marks the return of the European Championship to British soil three decades after Euro 1996.
The selected stadiums include iconic venues like Wembley, Manchester City Stadium, Cardiff’s National Stadium, and Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
A new Casement Park in Belfast is also in the works. This joint effort is set to be the largest sporting event ever organized by the two islands working together.
The decision reflects a growing trend of countries teaming up to host major sporting events, with a focus on cost efficiency.
Source: France24
