Cardiff To Host Opening Match Of Euro 2028

Cardiff will big nan opening crippled of Euro 2028, pinch nan semi-finals and last scheduled to return spot astatine London's Wembley Stadium.

Nine venues crossed 4 big nations - England, Scotland, Wales and nan Republic of Ireland - will shape nan 24-team tournament.

Matches were besides group to beryllium played successful Northern Ireland, but Belfast's Casement Park was removed arsenic an action because of a deficiency of funding.

Uefa's determination to play nan first crippled successful nan Welsh superior was confirmed arsenic nan tourney was officially launched connected Wednesday.

Football Association of Wales main executive Noel Mooney said: "This will beryllium nan first clip that 'The Red Wall' - our passionate Wales fans - will acquisition a awesome world tourney connected location soil.

"It's a genuinely historical juncture that will merge communities, animate early generations and showcase nan very champion of Welsh shot and civilization connected nan world stage."

Unlike successful erstwhile Euros, big nations will person to suffice for nan 2028 tournament, however, they would beryllium guaranteed to play their group games connected location turf if they do truthful directly.

The 4 big nations will each beryllium successful abstracted qualifying groups, pinch 2 spots besides allocated to nan highest-ranked of those sides who don't make it from their various qualification routes.

The quarter-finals will beryllium held astatine Cardiff's Principality Stadium, nan Aviva Stadium successful Dublin, Glasgow's Hampden Park and Wembley - which was besides utilized arsenic a semi-final and last venue successful 1996, and for nan delayed 2020 edition.

Etihad Stadium, wherever nan Three Lions would play their opening group crippled if they suffice directly, earlier switching to Wembley, is 1 of 5 different stadiums being utilized successful England.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Villa Park, Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium and St James' Park successful Newcastle are nan others that will beryllium utilised crossed nan 51 matches overall.

The qualifying tie will return spot successful Belfast connected 6 December 2026.

Speaking astatine a motorboat event, Debbie Hewitt, chair of UK & Ireland 2028 Limited, promised to present nan "best ever" European Championship.

She added: "It will beryllium a tourney for nan fans and a show of everything we emotion astir nan crippled - its passion and expertise to bring group together."

Meanwhile, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: "The big nations, wherever nan crippled first took shape, are eager to invited millions of fans into legendary stadiums, providing nan correct shape for a show of emotions."

The UK authorities says it is investing £557m to clasp nan tourney but expects a return of £3.2bn owed to nan creation of jobs, location maturation and benefits from world visitors.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Euro 2028 will beryllium nan biggest sporting arena ever jointly hosted by nan UK and Ireland and, arsenic a lifelong shot fan, I cognize really overmuch world competitions for illustration this matter.

"This tourney will bring fans from crossed Europe to iconic footballing cities for illustration Birmingham and Glasgow, animate nan adjacent procreation to lace up their boots, and present billions successful economical benefits."

With an mean stadium capacity of conscionable nether 60,000, Uefa predicts that much supporters than ever earlier will be matches astatine a European Championship finals.

Mark Bullingham, nan Football Association's main executive, said: "The standard of nan tourney will person a really affirmative effect connected communities passim nan country."

His counterpart astatine nan Football Association of Ireland, David Courell, added: "Our astonishing fans are known for their passion and we look guardant to providing them, arsenic good arsenic nan hundreds of thousands of group who will sojourn Ireland for nan tournament, pinch nan type of euphoric acquisition that they will ne'er forget."

The caput of nan Scottish Football Association, Ian Maxwell, said: "We talk a batch astir nan powerfulness of shot and nan effect it tin make connected a regular ground crossed Scotland, acold beyond nan confines of a pitch.

"I person nary uncertainty co-hosting Euro 2028 will animate a caller generation, young and old, and time off a bequest we tin each beryllium proud of successful this country."

After years of watching awesome tourney aft awesome tourney walk Scotland by, a 2nd opportunity to compete successful a European Championship finals connected location ungraded is simply a tantalising prospect.

That first chance came 4 years agone successful nan pandemic-delayed Euro 2020, pinch bitterly disappointing defeats by nan Czech Republic and Croatia undermining progression. Social distancing made for an eerie emotion wrong a sparsely populated Hampden Park.

Sold-out crowds successful Glasgow would beryllium an altogether different prospect. With qualification still to beryllium earned for Euro 2028, 2 spots held successful reserve for big countries gives nan 4 location nations a fallback action if required. It's an unthinkable opportunity for Scotland.

"No Scotland, nary party" is simply a well-known chant. With six matches to return spot astatine Hampden, it would beryllium unthinkable for Scotland not to return their chance and afloat play their part.