UEFA Euro 2028 explained

Tourney Name:UEFA Euro 2028
Country:England
Republic of Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Dates:9 June – 9 July 2028 (TBC)[1]
Num Teams:24
Venues:9
Cities:8
Prevseason:2024
Nextseason:2032

The 2028 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2028 or simply Euro 2028, will be the 18th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international football championship. It will be co-hosted by England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, three of which are from the Home Nations of football,[2] and is projected to take place from 9 June to 9 July 2028.[1]

England will be hosting the tournament for the third time, having previously hosted Euro 1996 and eight matches (including the final) in the pan-European Euro 2020, and Scotland will be hosting the tournament for the second time, having previously hosted four matches in the 2020 competition. It will be the first time that European Championship matches will be played in the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

Spain are the defending champions after winning the 2024 final against England, one of the upcoming hosts.

Bid process

See main article: article and UEFA Euro 2028 bids. On 23 March 2022, UEFA announced that three proposals had been received from countries declaring an interest in hosting the tournament: a joint bid from England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; a bid from Turkey; and one from Russia.[3]

Russia submitted their bid despite the current UEFA ban on Russian clubs and the national team due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] On 2 May 2022, UEFA declared both of Russia's bids for 2028 and 2032 ineligible.[9] [10] [11]

On 4 October 2023, it was disclosed that Turkey had withdrawn its submission to focus on a joint bid with Italy for Euro 2032.[12]

The host was selected on 10 October 2023 in Nyon, Switzerland.[13] The joint bid of England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales won unanimously.

In September 2024, UEFA warned England that they could be banned from the tournament despite being the hosts after the British government proposed the Football Governance Bill, which would stop English and Welsh clubs from joining breakaway competitions while ensuring financial stability for all clubs, which was deemed by UEFA as "government interference".[14] In the same month, Casement Park was dropped as a proposed venue, and therefore Northern Ireland will not host any games as originally planned.

Qualification

Per UEFA's bid regulations, the automatic qualification of the hosts can only be guaranteed for up to two host associations.[15] Therefore, it is unclear which host teams may qualify automatically. One plan being considered is that all four host teams (England, Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales) may enter qualifying, with two automatic spots held in reserve for hosts which fail to qualify. Should three or more host teams fail to qualify, the spots could be awarded to the best-performing hosts.[16] [17]

A revised qualification format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting in Nyon, Switzerland, on 25 January 2023. The qualification format was modified from the previous cycle. The qualifying group stage will feature twelve groups of four or five teams. The winner of each group will qualify for the European Championship, while the second-placed teams will either qualify directly or participate in play-off matches.[18]

Venues

On 12 April 2023, the ten host stadiums for the Euro 2028 bid were revealed, with the list being confirmed by UEFA on 10 October 2023.[19] [20] Notable omissions include Anfield, which was ineligible to host games due to its pitch dimensions falling short of UEFA's requirements, and Old Trafford, which was ruled out after Manchester United were unable to guarantee whether the stadium would be ready at that time.[21] Stadium of Light, London Stadium, Celtic Park, Ibrox Stadium, Murrayfield Stadium and Croke Park were also shortlisted, but were not chosen.[22] [23]

London Cardiff Manchester
Wembley StadiumTottenham Hotspur StadiumMillennium StadiumCity of Manchester Stadium
Capacity: 90,652Capacity: 62,322Capacity: 73,952Capacity: 61,000
Liverpool
Everton Stadium
Capacity: 52,888[24]
Newcastle
St James' Park
Capacity: 52,305
Glasgow Dublin Birmingham
Hampden ParkAviva StadiumVilla Park
Capacity: 52,032Capacity: 51,711Capacity: 42,640

Northern Ireland stadium

Unionist protests

The inclusion of Casement Park instead of Windsor Park in Belfast as the Northern Irish venue led to Unionist protests, due to Casement Park being a hurling and Gaelic football stadium, traditional nationalist sports. Northern Ireland's national football stadium, Windsor Park, however, does not have a capacity large enough to comply with UEFA rules for hosting European Championship matches, which led to the selection of Casement Park. Windsor Park is located in a majority unionist area (with football being a traditional unionist sport), whereas Casement Park is located in a majority nationalist area. The stadium is named after Sir Roger Casement, a diplomat who was hanged in 1916 for his role in the Easter Rising. Protests had been held regarding the inclusion of Casement Park with the theme being that the protestors do not want to attend games at the venue, due to its history and location.[25] [26] [27] [28]

Stadium redevelopment and withdrawal

Casement Park has been derelict since 2013. The stadium's inclusion as a host venue as such was dependent on renovation work being completed in time for the tournament. Redevelopment work on the ground was being funded by the Northern Irish Devolved Government and the Gaelic Athletic Association.

On 13 September 2024, the British Government announced it would not contribute to the redevelopment of Casement Park, with the redevelopment being delayed and budget ballooned to £400 million, putting hopes of Northern Ireland hosting any matches at the tournament in jeopardy.[29] On 16 September 2024, Casement Park was dropped as a host venue,[30] with Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork initially proposed as an alternative.[31] On 26 November 2024, Northern Ireland was dropped from host status, leaving them without matches to host and a chance at automatic qualification for the tournament.[32] While there were attempts to replace Belfast's venue with another one in Ireland, the decision was made to remain at nine venues as UEFA did not accept Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) venues as replacement options.[33]

Broadcasting rights

UEFA

TerritoryRights holdersRef
ArmeniaArmenia TV[34]
AustriaServusTV[35]
ETV
LTV		[36] [37]
Belgium[38] [39]
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBHRT
BulgariaNova[40]
CroatiaHRT[41]
CyprusCyBC[42]
Czech RepublicČT[43]
Denmark[44] [45]
FinlandYle[46] [47]
France[48] [49]
GeorgiaGPB
Germany
GreeceERT[50] [51]
HungaryMTVA[52]
IcelandRÚV[53]
IrelandRTÉ
IsraelCharlton
KosovoArtmotion[54]
LiechtensteinSRG SSR
MaltaPBS
MoldovaTRM[55]
MontenegroArena Sport
NetherlandsNOS[56]
North MacedoniaArena Sport
Norway[57] [58]
PolandTVP[59]
RomaniaPro TV[60]
Serbia[61]
SlovakiaTV Markíza[62] [63]
Slovenia
Sweden[64] [65] [66]
SwitzerlandSRG SSR[67]
United Kingdom[68]

Rest of the world

TerritoryRights holdersRef
CanadaTVA Sports[69]
CaribbeanC Sport[70]
Central AmericaESPN
ChinaiQIYI
Indian subcontinentSony Sports Network[71]
IndonesiaMNC Media[72]
New ZealandTVNZ[73]
Pacific IslandsDigicel
South AmericaESPN[74]
South KoreaCJ ENM
Sub-Saharan AfricaNew World TV[75] [76]
MexicoTUDN, Izzi, Sky Sports[77]
United States[78] [79] [80]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: EURO 2028: All you need to know . . 12 July 2024 . 12 July 2024.
  2. Web site: UEFA.com . 10 October 2023 . UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 hosts confirmed UEFA EURO 2024 . 10 January 2024 . UEFA.com .
  3. Declarations of interest in hosting UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 received from four potential bids . UEFA . Nyon. 23 March 2022 . 23 March 2022.
  4. News: Brown . Luke . Euro 2028: Russia to rival UK and Ireland for tournament despite football ban . The New York Times . 12 March 2024 . en.
  5. Web site: 23 March 2022 . Russia intends to bid for Euros as invasion of Ukraine continues: UEFA reacts to the move Sporting News . 12 March 2024 . www.sportingnews.com . en-us.
  6. News: MacInnes . Paul . 23 March 2022 . Russia warned by Uefa it could face more sanctions if it bids to host Euros . 12 March 2024 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  7. Web site: PA . 24 March 2022 . Russia wants to host Euro 2028 or 2032 despite international ban . 12 March 2024 . SportsPro . en-GB.
  8. News: 24 March 2022 . Football: Russia to bid to host Euro 2028 or 2032 despite ban . 12 March 2024 . The Straits Times . en . 0585-3923.
  9. Web site: UEFA.com . 2 May 2022 . UEFA decisions for upcoming competitions relating to the ongoing suspension of Russian national teams and clubs Inside UEFA . 12 March 2024 . UEFA.com . en.
  10. News: Russia handed further sanctions by Uefa . 12 March 2024 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
  11. Web site: 2 May 2022 . UEFA bans Russia bid to host Euro 2028, 2032 . 12 March 2024 . ESPN.com . en.
  12. Web site: UK and Ireland set to host Euro 2028 after Turkey withdraw bid . . 4 October 2023 .
  13. Web site: Hosts appointed for UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 . UEFA . Nyon . 10 October 2023 . 12 October 2023.
  14. Web site: England could face Euro ban over gov't regulator. 15 September 2024. ESPN.com.
  15. News: UEFA announces bidding process for potential UEFA EURO 2028 hosts . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 12 October 2021 . 13 October 2021.
  16. News: Ziegler . Martyn . England to play Euro 2028 qualifying matches even if they are hosts . . 18 September 2023 . 10 October 2023.
  17. News: Euro 2028: How losing home nations and Ireland could still qualify through bizarre UEFA loophole. Sky Sports. 10 October 2023.
  18. Web site: New formats for UEFA men's national team competitions approved . . 25 January 2023 . 26 January 2023.
  19. News: Euro 2028: Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock among 10 stadiums for UK & Ireland bid. BBC Sport. 12 April 2023. 10 October 2023.
  20. Web site: Hosts appointed for UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 . UEFA.com . Union of European Football Associations . 10 October 2023 . 10 October 2023.
  21. News: Euro 2028 stadiums: Why Anfield and Old Trafford will not host any games . Give Me Sport. 10 October 2023 . 10 October 2023.
  22. News: Euro 2028: Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock among 10 stadiums for UK & Ireland bid. BBC Sport .
  23. News: UK and Ireland announce final list of stadiums for Euro 2028 bid. The Athletic . Bosher . Luke .
  24. Web site: Everton’s new Bramley-Moore stadium compared to England’s top 10 grounds, including Anfield - gallery . www.liverpoolworld.uk . George . Priestman.
  25. Web site: O'Neill urges NI fans to get behind Casement Park plans . . 16 October 2023 .
  26. News: 2023-10-05 . Casement Park delays could leave us with no stadium for Euros, warns Campbell . en-GB . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk . 2023-11-09 . 0307-1235.
  27. News: Will controversial Casement Park be ready for Euro 2028? . en-GB . BBC Sport . 2023-11-09.
  28. Web site: 2023-10-04 . 'We have to get our heads around' NI at Casement . 2023-11-09 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
  29. News: Simpson . Mark. Government will not fund Casement for Euro 2028 . en-GB . BBC News NI . 13 September 2024 . 13 September 2024.
  30. Web site: Casement Park: IFA disappointed but accepts decision - CEO Patrick Nelson. 16 September 2024. BBC Sport.
  31. Web site: Euro 2028: GAA backs tournament games at Pairc Ui Chaoimh - Burns. 18 September 2024. BBC Sport.
  32. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cvg4r1z8zjdo
  33. https://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2024/11/27/euro-2028-to-proceed-with-nine-venue-solution/
  34. News: ISO UEFA EURO 2028. 19 January 2022. 19 January 2022.
  35. Web site: UEFA EURO 2024, UEFA EURO 2028 und European Qualifiers LIVE bei ServusTV!. April 2021 . 1 April 2021. Servus TV.
  36. News: NENT Group's Viaplay becomes home of UEFA national team football in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. NENT. 1 September 2021.
  37. News: "Futbols atgriežas mājās!" – Latvijas Televīzija iegūst tiesības pārraidīt Latvijas nacionālās futbola izlases spēles UEFA rīkotajās sacensībās. LTV. 4 September 2024.
  38. Web site: Les Diables sur la RTBF jusqu'en 2028!. 23 July 2021. rtbf.be. 12 July 2021.
  39. News: Kijk deze zomer en de komende jaren naar het EK voetbal. 27 May 2021. Sporza. 29 April 2021.
  40. News: Nova Broadcasting Group secures broadcasting rights to UEFA EURO 2024 and UEFA EURO 2028. 17 February 2022. Nova. 17 February 2022.
  41. Web site: Vrhunski nogomet i dalje u programu Hrvatske radiotelevizije!. 23 May 2022. sport.hrt.hr. HRT.
  42. News: Μεγάλες αθλητικές διοργανώσεις από το ΡΙΚ. 1 February 2023. CyBC. 14 November 2022.
  43. Web site: Reprezentační fotbal bude do roku 2028 na České televizi, práva má na další dvě Eura. 11 October 2021. sport.ceskatelevise.cz. 8 October 2021.
  44. News: Herrelandsholdets kampe vises fra 2022 igen på TV2. 10 September 2020. DBU. da.
  45. News: Svenson. David. TV2 Denmark dislodges Discovery by acquiring all Uefa national team rights. 10 September 2020. SportBusiness. 10 September 2020.
  46. News: Yle varmistaa jalkapallon huippuhetkiä kaikkien saataville – Huuhkajien ottelut ja EM-lopputurnaukset Ylellä vuoteen 2028. 23 September 2020. Yle. fi.
  47. News: Ross. Martin. YLE regains Finnish national team rights in six-year Uefa deal. 23 September 2020. SportBusiness. 23 September 2020.
  48. Web site: EVENEMENT : LE GROUPE TF1 DE NOUVEAU PARTENAIRE EXCLUSIF DES BLEUS JUSQU'EN 2028 !. 22 July 2022 . 9 October 2023. TF1.
  49. News: Euro 2024 : L'UEFA Euro 2024™ et l'UEFA Euro 2028™ diffusés en intégralité sur beIN SPORTS !. 7 June 2024. beIN Sports. 7 June 2024.
  50. Web site: Οι διοργανώσεις UEFA EURO 2024 και UEFA EURO 2028 αποκλειστικά στην ΕΡΤ. 11 November 2023. ERT. 1 December 2021.
  51. News: Η ΕΡΤ «κατέκτησε» το Euro 2024 και το Euro 2028. 14 July 2021. Newsbeast.gr. 5 February 2021. el.
  52. Web site: Újabb történelmi bejelentés: 2028-ig az M4 Sport a magyar labdarúgó-válogatott és a következő két Eb kizárólagos otthona. 18 November 2021. m4sport.hu. 15 November 2021 . MTVA. hu.
  53. News: Örn Jónsson. Einar. EM í fótbolta 2024 og 2028 á RÚV. 25 March 2021. RÚV. 2 June 2021. is.
  54. Web site: Kosova, Nations League, Kampionatet Evropiane, Kualifikimet për Botërorin dhe Ndeshjet Miqesore në Futboll i Bashkohen Familjes ARTMOTION. 17 June 2022. Artmotion. sq. 25 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220625232416/https://www.artmotion.net/2022/06/10/kosova-nations-league-kampionatet-evropiane-kualifikimet-per-boterorin-dhe-ndeshjet-miqesore-ne-futboll-i-bashkohen-familjes-artmotion/. dead.
  55. News: Teleradio-Moldova a încheiat un acord cu UEFA care îi permite să transmită în următorii 5 ani meciurile echipei naţionale de fotbal şi două campionate europene de fotbal. 17 November 2023. TRM. 16 November 2023.
  56. News: Ook EK voetbal in 2028 bij de NOS te zien, net als Oranje de komende vier jaar . 2 July 2024. NOS. 2 July 2024.
  57. Web site: Skjerdingstad. Anders. 7 September 2020. NRK og TV 2 sikret nye rettigheter – skal vise fotball-EM til 2028. 9 September 2020. NRK. nb-NO.
  58. News: Svenson. David. TV2, NRK secure Uefa national team rights in long-term deal. 10 September 2020. SportBusiness. 8 September 2020.
  59. News: Mecze reprezentacji Polski do 2028 roku w Telewizji Polskiej. W tym Euro 2024 i Euro 2028!. 23 March 2021. TVP. 23 March 2021. pl.
  60. News: Boerescu. Gabriela. PRO TV anunță achiziționarea drepturilor de difuzare pentru UEFA EURO 2024 și 2028!. 12 July 2021. Pro TV. 11 July 2021. ro.
  61. News: Vest koja će obradovati sve navijače: Cela Srbija će od sada MOĆI DA GLEDA fudbalsku reprezentaciju. 24 March 2022. Blic. sport.blic.rs. 24 March 2022. sr.
  62. Web site: Skupina Markíza získala exkluzívne vysielacie práva na futbalové EURO 2024 a EURO 2028. 17 November 2021. tvnoviny.sk. TV Noviny.
  63. News: EURO 2024 a 2028 nebudú na RTVS. Vysielacie práva získala iná televízia. 16 November 2021. SME. 16 November 2021. sk.
  64. Web site: Fotbolls-EM 2024 och 2028 – direkt i SVT och TV4. 10 November 2020 . SVT.
  65. Web site: Mästerskapssomrarna fortsätter på TV4 - säkrar rättigheter till fotbolls-EM 2024 och 2028. TV4.
  66. News: Ross. Martin. TV4 and SVT retain Uefa European Championships rights. 10 November 2020. SportBusiness. 10 November 2020.
  67. Web site: Nationalmannschafts-Fussball bis 2028 bei der SRG. 24 June 2021. srgssr.ch. 24 June 2021.
  68. News: The BBC and ITV to show UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Euro 2028. 9 November 2022. BBC. 9 November 2022.
  69. News: L'EURO DE RETOUR À TVA SPORTS. 23 December 2022. 19 December 2022.
  70. News: CSport Channels Kickoff with Premier League. 1 August 2022. 26 July 2022.
  71. News: Mahadik. Gauresh. Sony Sports Network signs renewal with UEFA. 11 April 2023. Sports Mint. 11 April 2023.
  72. News: Arie Harnoko. Rizqi. MNC Group Amankan Hak Siar Euro 2024 dan Euro 2028, Cetak Rekor 9 Edisi Nonstop Sejak 1996. 13 May 2023. KabarRakyat.ID. 12 May 2023. id.
  73. News: Spark Sport closure. 7 December 2023. 30 June 2023.
  74. Web site: ESPN trae el sábado 2 el sorteo de la UEFA EURO 2024 por STAR+. 7 December 2023. ESPN. 30 November 2023.
  75. News: New World TV diffuseur officiel de l'UEFA pour six saisons. 1 December 2023. New World TV. 16 March 2022.
  76. News: New World TV lands Uefa national team rights in long-term deal. 8 January 2022. Sportcal. 7 January 2022. 8 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230159/https://www.sportcal.com/News/FeaturedNews/137211. dead.
  77. News: ¿Cuánto cuesta Izzi y SKY? Precios, promociones y paquetes para ver la Eurocopa 2024. 17 June 2024. 14 June 2024.
  78. Web site: 3 November 2021 . FOX Sports Scores Media Rights to UEFA European Championship in Landmark Deal . https://web.archive.org/web/20220311154000/https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/latest-news/2021/11/03/fox-sports-scores-media-rights-uefa-european-championship-landmark-deal . 11 March 2022 . 3 November 2021.
  79. News: fuboTV Acquires Exclusive Rights to Select UEFA National Team Football and UEFA European Championship Matches Through FOX Sports. 25 January 2022. Business Wire. 24 January 2022.
  80. News: TelevisaUnivision Announces Expansive Sports Offering in 2024. 16 May 2023. TelevisaUnivision. 16 May 2023.

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