Euro 2028 joy for Everton and Manchester City as UEFA confirms tournament award
Everton and Manchester City will host games in the Men’s Euro 2028 Championships.
It follows European football governing body UEFA’s ratification of the UK and Ireland’s pioneering, five-association joint bid to host the prestigious tournament in five years.
Everton, which is currently building its new 52,888-seat stadium at Bramley Moore-Dock, and Manchester City are among 10 stadia chosen to host games as part of the tournament. They include Belfast, Casement Park (34,500), Birmingham, Villa Park (52,190), Cardiff, National Stadium of Wales (73,952), Dublin, Dublin Arena (51,711), Glasgow, Hampden Park (52,032), London, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,322), London, Wembley Stadium (90,652), and Newcastle, St James’ Park (52,305).
Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium holds 61,000 people.
Colin Chong, Everton’s interim chief executive and chief stadium development officer, said: “Everton Football Club is proud to be representing the city of Liverpool as an integral part of the UK and Ireland’s successful bid to host UEFA Euro 2028. We feel sure our iconic stadium will be a real highlight of the tournament and the prestige of being a host city will bring so many benefits, beyond participating in a festival of football.
“It will allow the club and the local authorities to build on the already transformational impact that Everton Stadium will bring to our city region and will inspire young people from our local communities.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Few places have made a bigger impact on English – and European – football than the Liverpool City Region. Quite simply, nowhere is more qualified or experienced to host one of Europe’s biggest sporting spectacles than us.
“Everton’s new stadium is already shaping up to be a world class venue and I can think of no better opportunity to show why our region is the perfect place for football fans – both on and off the pitch – than Euro 2028.”
The city of Liverpool hosted matches in the Euro 1996 tournament and famously staged World Cup games in 1966.
Danny Wilson and Cllr Bev Craig
Danny Wilson, managing director – Manchester City Operations, said: “Everyone at Manchester City is delighted to be a part of the UK and Ireland’s successful UEFA EURO 2028 bid, and we can’t wait to bring fans from across the country and Europe to Manchester to enjoy one of sports’ biggest spectacles.
“To be one of the few stadia across the UK and Ireland chosen to host the competition is testament to the club’s investment into the Etihad Stadium, and our vision to develop a best-in-class fan experience and year-round entertainment and leisure destination.”
Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is brilliant news for the UK and Ireland and for Manchester, which is known the world over as a great footballing city.
“As well as giving fans of the sport the chance to get directly involved in world class footballing action, it will provide a fantastic boost to the city’s economy. We also know from hosting international matches in Manchester during last year’s ground-breaking UEFA Women’s EURO tournament how much young players get out of this, and the positive impact it has on them.
“Our goal for 2028 is to build further on this and help create a tournament to remember with a lasting legacy alongside it that helps further develop the sport from the grassroots up.”
The tournament will be the largest major sporting event the UK and Ireland have ever jointly staged.
