Old Trafford does not feature on the list of stadiums put forward by the UK and Ireland as part of their bid to host Euro 2028.
Wembley, the Etihad Stadium and St James’ Park are all listed, as are Hampden Park in Glasgow, Casement Park in Northern Ireland and the Dublin Arena. Everton’s new stadium also makes the cut.
Old Trafford had originally been shortlisted as a potential host venue by the FA in November 2022. Following consultation between United and the FA, though, it was recently mutually agreed that, due to the ongoing planning process around the stadium's regeneration, guarantees could not be made for use of the stadium in 2028.
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A statement last week said: “Manchester United were pleased to put Old Trafford forward as a potential host of UEFA Euro 2028 matches and proud of the strong case we made.
“However, during follow-up discussions with the FA, it became clear that we were unable to provide the necessary certainty around the availability of Old Trafford due to potential redevelopment of the stadium. As a result, we have mutually agreed to withdraw from the shortlist of potential hosts.
“We are committed to maintaining Old Trafford’s status as the largest and most iconic club football ground in England and look forward to future opportunities to host international matches and major events at ‘the Theatre of Dreams’.
“Everyone at Manchester United wishes the FA the best of luck with the bid to host the tournament in 2028.”
An official statement from the UK & Ireland’s bid read: "The UK and Ireland share a proud reputation as world-leading event destinations which have successfully staged some of the biggest global sporting tournaments - backed by strong government support.
"They have signed the relevant tournament guarantees and will ensure the event is fully supported. This will create a welcoming, exciting and safe football experience that players and fans will enjoy in every city and every game."
Danny Wilson, the managing director of Manchester City Operations, said of the Etihad's inclusion: “We are delighted to be part of the UK and Ireland’s exciting proposal to host UEFA EURO 2028.
"Should the bid be successful, it will be a fantastic event for the city of Manchester with thousands of local and international fans attending the Etihad Stadium to enjoy one of Europe’s biggest sporting events.”
Wembley and Uefa faced heavy scrutiny for its policing of the Euro 2020 final in 2021 regarding anti-social behaviour from some fans. The 2022 Women's Euros final was held at Wembley with little-to-no such incidents a year later.
So far the only rival bid for hosting Euro 2028 comes from Turkey after Russia’s initial interest was dismissed by Uefa amid the invasion of Ukraine. A final decision on the host will be made in September.
Old Trafford has been a point of contention in United’s takeover process. Most fans are eager to see the ground either refurbished or knocked down with a new build put in place.
Public bidders Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have both mentioned the redevelopment of Old Trafford since first expressing their interest in a purchase.
