10 stadiums to host matches at Euro 2028 as Old Trafford and Anfield snubbed
With the news that the UK and Ireland will host Euro 2028, attention has turned to the venues where the tournament's matches will take place.
Rival bidders Turkey have pulled out of their bid for the tournament, instead turning their attention to a joint bid with Italy for the 2032 edition. This leaves the UK and Ireland bid as the only one in contention, though it has not formally been confirmed as the winner.
Back in April, when full details of the bid were announced, a list of 10 host stadiums was included. The list includes Wembley Stadium, which held the Euro 2020 final when the tournament was spread across the continent, but there is no place for Old Trafford or Anfield.
"We are looking forward to presenting our bid to UEFA on 10th October," a joint statement from the FAs of the UK and Ireland read. "These are exciting times, and we have a very compelling EURO 2028 proposal for UEFA.
"Our bid will be ground-breaking for the Men’s EURO and will deliver lasting legacies across the whole of the UK and Ireland. We will share full details of the bid in Nyon next week and are confident that UEFA will approve our candidacy to host EURO 2028."
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So, which stadiums have been put forward as proposed venues? Mirror Football has taken a closer look.
Wembley Stadium (90,652 capacity)
Are you happy with the stadium choices? Have your say in the comments section
Wembley hosted the Euro 2020 final (AP)Wembley is no stranger to major tournament finals. In a Euros context, it was the venue for Germany's victory over the Czech Republic in the 1996 final and England's defeat to Italy 25 years later, as well as both Euro 2020 semi-finals as England beat Denmark and Italy overcame Spain.
It has also been a frequent host of Champions League finals. The showpiece event was held there in both 2011 and 2013, while this season's final will also take place in the outer London stadium.
The Euro 2020 final wasn't without its difficulties, though. An independent report from Lady Louise Casey described the day as "a potentially glorious national occasion that turned into a day of national shame".
National Stadium of Wales (73,952)
The National Stadium of Wales - or what used to be known as the Millennium Stadium, and is now the Principality Stadium - hosted several English cup finals and play-off finals while Wembley was being rebuilt around the turn of the century. These included the dramatic 2006 FA Cup final, where Liverpool beat West Ham on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
It is also the home of the Wales rugby union team, while the Wales national football team have also played matches there. More recently, though, the football team called the Cardiff City Stadium their home during qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will have one host stadium each (PA)From a major tournament perspective, the stadium played host to a number of matches at the 1999, 2007 and 2015 Rugby World Cups. This included the 1999 final, with Australia beating France in front of a crowd of 72,500.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,322)
The largest club stadium on the list, Spurs' stadium hosted its first Premier League game in the 2018-19 season. It had initially been slated to open early in the season, but it was only in April 2019 that it was ready for the big day.
As well as football, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted NFL games on a number of occasions, with regular season matches played there since 2019. A number of boxing bouts have also been held in the stadium, along with events in a handful of other sports.
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It has been used as a live music venue as well as a sporting arena. Acts to play their London dates in Tottenham include Beyonce, with more than 200,000 in attendance across her five shows in 2023.
City of Manchester Stadium (61,000)
European Championships matches require stadiums to shed their sponsor names. And so, for the purposes of this competition, the Etihad Stadium reverts back to its original moniker.
Manchester City's ground is one of several club stadiums proposed (MI News/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)Originally built ahead of Manchester hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2002, it has since become the home of Manchester City. The reigning Treble winners played their first game there in 2003, and it has remained their home since the club's 2008 owership change.
As is the case with many stadiums of its size, it has hosted its fair share of live music. Taylor Swift played at the City of Manchester Stadium in 2018, while CIty fans Oasis played there in 2005.
Everton Stadium (52,679)
Everton hope to move into their stadium during the 2024-25 season (PA)Chosen ahead of neighbouring Anfield, Everton's new ground hasn't been completed yet. 2028 is a long way away, though, and an opening date of the start of the 2025 season is the current target.
"What I can say categorically is that, today, the project is several weeks ahead of schedule, with another winter to come,"Everton 's interim CEO Colin Chong said in June.. "In the coming months we will be consulting supporters further on our digital journey and the migration process as we seek to make a fully informed decision on when the first competitive game for our senior men’s team will be played at Everton Stadium.
"This will be our home for generations to come, so our ambition is to ensure we get this right for everyone. It may have been a difficult and turbulent season on the pitch, but I know that in Everton Stadium we have a glimpse into the future of football for our great club."
St James' Park (52,305)
The choices of stadium for the 2028 tournament mean fans will be spread across the UK and Ireland. Newcastle's St James' Park stadium is the choice for the north-east, as was the case at Euro 96.
France played two games at St James' Park during Euro 96 (Mirrorpix)Back then, the stadium played host to three matches in Group B. Two of those involved France, with Les Bleus beating Romania and Bulgaira.
It also hosted several football matches during the 2012 Olympics, plus a number of England men's internationals during Wembley's redevelopment. More recently, Saudi Arabia played two friendlies at the home of Newcastle, who themselves are now owned by a Saudi-backed group.
Villa Park (52,190)
Another Euro 96 venue set for another run, Villa Park hosted several group games and one knockout fixture when England hosted the tournament. The latter was a quarter-final between Czech Republic and Portugal made famous by Karel Poborsky's chipped winner.
In addition to international football, Aston Villa's stadium was regularly used as a neutral venue for FA Cup semi-finals before those were moved to Wembley. It also held the Community Shield in 2012, when the national stadium was in use for the Olympic Games.
Other sports held at the ground include rugby union, during the 2015 World Cup, and plenty of live music has been held there. Bruce Springsteen was among the stars to incorporate Villa Park into a 2023 arena tour.
Hampden Park (52,032)
Neither Rangers' nor Celtic's home ground will host matches at the Euros. Instead, Hampden Park has been chosen as Scotland's proposed representative.
The Glasgow venue has hosted football matches for more than a century, and remains the home of the Scottish national football team. It was there that Scotland beat Spain in March, part of a 100 percent start to Euro 2024 qualifying.
Hampden Park hosted several Euro 2020 games (Getty Images)Hampden also played host to a handful of Euro 2020 matches, albeit at reduced capacity. Two of Scotland's three group games were held there, as was the round of 16 clash between Sweden and Ukraine.
Dublin Arena (51,711)
Currently known as the Aviva Stadium for sponsorship reasons, the Dublin Arena was also one of the original venues for Euro 2020. However, when the tournament was rescheduled following the COVID-19 pandemic, it was one of three stadiums to drop out.
Ireland's national team have played regularly at the stadium since its reopening in 2010. The ground also hosted the 2011 Europa League final, when a Radamel Falcao winner helped Porto beat Braga in an all-Portuguese clash.
Away from sport, the Dublin Arena has also hosted its fair share of concerts. It is one of the European venues named for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, with the star coming to Dublin in June 2024.
Casement Park (34,500)
The one venue on the list in Northern Ireland, Casement Park is notable for the fact that - at the time of the bid being outlined - it lay derelict.
Northern Ireland's national stadium, Windsor Park, falls short of the 30,000 minimum capacity required to host matches at the Euros. Efforts to redevelop Casement Park have hit stumbling blocks, but the ground - predominantly used as a GAA venue - is still expected to be ready in time for the Euros.
According to a joint statement from the leaders of the five largest political parties in Northern Ireland, it will be “a world class, state of the art stadium in which to host players, fans and the entire UEFA family for an inclusive and unforgettable celebration of football". We have also been told the redevelopmed Casement Park will “drive a legacy of increased football participation, sustainability and social and economic benefits”.
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