EURO 2028 is set to be held in the UK and Ireland with the joint hosts not facing competition from other bids.
Russia’s planned bid cannot go ahead with the country suspended from international sport while Turkey are likely to withdraw after twice failing with recent Euro bids for 2016 and 2024.
The UK and Ireland’s decision to rule out a 2030 World Cup proposal and instead focus on the Euros is now looking to have paid off.
The joint hosts only announced their intention to bid for the 2028 tournament last month but recent developments have meant it has took a positive turn.
UEFA officials are understood to be receptive to an unopposed contest as it would provide certainty after a difficult period with war raging in Eastern Europe.
On top of that, all 55 national associations in UEFA are struggling financially after incurring huge losses during the pandemic.
The official bidding process was set to continue until September 2023 but if only one bid is received, UEFA will announce the hosts much earlier.
The joint effort must however meet the organiser’s technical requirements but that is expected to be a formality.
March 23 is the deadline for registering an intention to bid with the home nations appearing to be the only runners.
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The proposal is ambitious with the five separate football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all having to agree to join forces.
This was spurred on by UEFA who strongly encouraged a UK and Ireland bid during informal talks last year.
Despite the violence that marred last summer’s Euro 2020 final at Wembley, UEFA have not held this against the FA’s involvement in the bid.
The European footballing body viewed the incident as a one-off event caused by England’s first major final appearance for 55 years and a mass release of frustration following the emergence from lockdown.
In UEFA’s opinion, much of the blame was directed towards the Metropolitan Police for their poor security operation.
The final aside, all other games that England hosted were viewed as a success.
It is expected that UEFA will increase the size of the competition from 24 to 32 teams for Euro 2028 so a minimum of 12 host grounds will be needed.
The Principality in Cardiff, Aviva Stadium in Dublin, and Glasgow’s Hampden Park will definitely be used, while Edinburgh’s Murrayfield and Croke Park in Dublin are apparently under consideration.
The final is certain to take place at Wembley but it remains to be seen which other English venues will be used.
The competition for London clubs is fierce – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is sure to feature so either Arsenal’s Emirates or West Ham’s London Stadium could miss out.
Organisers will aim to achieve a geographical spread across the country with iconic stadiums Old Trafford, Anfield, St James’ Park and the King Power stadium some of the others that may feature.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
