UK and Ireland to Host Euro 2028 as Turkey Withdraws Bid 

BY ADEKE CHUKWUKA

Following Turkey’s withdrawal from the bidding process, UEFA announced that the joint bid by the United Kingdom and Ireland to host Euro 2028 stands unopposed, paving the way for a potential successful hosting venture.

Britain and Ireland have decided to abandon their bid for the 2030 World Cup, choosing instead to concentrate on hosting the European Championship. Their bid was already the front-runner for the 2028 tournament. UEFA is set to reveal the hosts for the 2028 and 2032 Euros during its executive committee meeting on Tuesday, October 10th.

Turkey, having bid for every Euro since 2008 without success, was initially in the running for both the 2028 and 2032 tournaments. However, in July, it opted to team up with Italy for the 2032 bid, without clarifying its stance on the 2028 bid at that time.

UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that Turkey has withdrawn its bid to host UEFA Euro 2028, focusing all efforts on a joint bid with Italy for 2032. Consequently, the UK and Ireland remain unopposed for the 2028 edition, while Italy and Turkey face no rivals for the 2032 tournament, making the decision for both editions a formality.

England, after hosting the women’s Euro last year, previously hosted a men’s major tournament in Euro 96. They also hosted the final of the 24-team Euro 2020, held a year later due to the pandemic, featuring 12 games in total. Italy, although hosting matches in Rome for Euro 2020, has not held a tournament on its own since the 1990 World Cup, hosting the final stages of the Euro in 1968 and 1980. Turkey, despite hosting the 2021 Champions League final, has never been awarded a major international competition.

Russia expressed interest in hosting the 2028 or 2032 Euro, but UEFA rejected their bid following the suspension of Russian clubs and national teams from all UEFA competitions due to the conflict in Ukraine. The upcoming Euro will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14 next year.