England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and The Republic Of Ireland Submit Joint Bid To Host 2028 Euros

The UK and the Republic of Ireland have launched a joint bid to host the 2028 Euro’s.

A joint statement from the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland said: “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,”

“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,”

“We believe the UK and the Republic of Ireland can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 – a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans.”

The move now brings an end to any bid for the 2030 World Cup, with the decision to opt for the UEFA tournament made partly because of study suggesting the Euros would cost less than the World Cup and bring similar advantages.

England’s Wembley Stadium hosted eight games at Euro 2020, including both of the semi-finals and final while four games were also played at Hampden Park in Scotland.

Despite the 2030 World Cup being part of the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto the government said it “accepted” the associations’ reasons for ending a World Cup bid, and “remained passionate” about bringing the World Cup to the UK at some point in future.