Earlier today (12 April), the UK & Ireland submitted the final bid to host UEFA EURO 2028 - a key milestone in the bidding process to host one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world.
Following an extensive process of assessing stadia against UEFA’s requirements, the final 10 stadia and host cities are:
- Wembley Stadium, London
- National Stadium of Wales, Cardiff
- Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
- City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester
- Everton Stadium, Liverpool
- St James’ Park, Newcastle
- Villa Park, Birmingham
- Hampden Park, Glasgow
- Dublin Arena, Dublin
- Casement Park, Belfast
The UK and Ireland submission, a unique and pioneering five-Association bid, sets out a clear and compelling vision for UEFA EURO 2028: ‘Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future’.
Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said:
“We are delighted Birmingham and Villa Park have been selected to be a host city and stadia as part of the UK & Ireland UEFA EURO 2028 Bid.
“Over many years we have demonstrated we are a city that can proudly host major events of this type and scale – and the people of Birmingham and indeed the entire nation have proven time and time again their huge appetite for sport.
“Attracting and hosting major events, as outlined in our 10-year Major Sporting Events Strategy, delivers positive, economic and environmental impact for our residents, businesses and regional economy.
“The exciting redevelopment of Villa Park, one of the world’s most iconic football stadiums, will further enhance Birmingham as one of the world’s leading sport cities.”
Andrew Lovett, Chair of the West Midlands Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board, said:
“We welcome the news that Villa Park – one of the most iconic, historic and well-connected stadiums in the country – has been shortlisted for the UK & Ireland’s bid to host the UEFA European Championships in 2028.
“The West Midlands has a proud footballing heritage, having founded the English Football League and having played host to memorable FA Cup semi-finals, European nights and major international championships, including Euro 96, and we look forward to welcoming football fans from Europe again should the UK & Ireland’s bid be successful.
“The region showed during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games what a fantastic, welcoming host it is for world-class sporting events. With the British Open Squash, 2025 Kabaddi World Cup and 2026 European Athletics Championships already secured as a result of our major sporting events plan, Europe’s elite footballing nations coming to Villa Park in 2028 would be a very exciting addition to our calendar.”
Christian Purslow, CEO Aston Villa, said:
“We are immensely proud that Villa Park, one of the most renowned and historic football stadiums in the UK, has been selected as part of the UEFA EURO 2028 Bid.
“This is tremendously exciting not just for our football club to be included in such a unique undertaking but also for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region.
“Alongside plans to redevelop the North Stand end of the stadium in time for the tournament, which will provide a multi-faceted boost to the immediate vicinity and the surrounding areas as well as turning Villa Park into a world-class arena, our home and the city will have the honour of hosting elite level sport again that it so richly deserves.”
The host for UEFA EURO 2028 will be announced in autumn this year.