European football governing body UEFA confirms new £750m Everton stadium will stage Euro 2028 matches after ratifying UK and Ireland bid to host the tournament. Tony McDonough reports
Everton’s new £750m stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock will stage matches during the Euro 2028 championships.
On Tuesday, European football governing body UEFA ratified the UK and Ireland’s bid to host the tournament. The decision had been a formality after Turkey withdrew its bid to host the event, which sees Europe’s top national teams compete against each other.
It will mean games will be played in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The tournament last came to the British Isles in 1996 when it was hosted by England alone. The bid was launched in April.
Everton’s new 52,888-capacity stadium is set to replace Goodison Park as the club’s new home during the 2024/25 football season giving the venue plenty of time to prepare for 2028.
There are 10 stadiums in the two countries included in the bid. The others are Wembley, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, City of Manchester Stadium, St James’ Park, Villa Park, National Stadium of Wales, Hampden Park, Dublin Arena and Casement Park in Belfast.
Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium is not part of the bid as the pitch is too small to meet the minimum tournament requirements.
Colin Chong, Everton 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.”
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram added: “Quite simply, nowhere is more qualified or experienced to host one of Europe’s biggest sporting spectacles than us.
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“From the Grand National, to Eurovision and The Open, we’ve proven time and again that we have the capability, creativity and culture to put on unforgettable spectacles for visitors from around the world.
“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.”