The United Kingdom and Ireland are set to win the rights to host EURO 2028 after it emerged that there were no other bidders for the tournament. It will be the first time that the UK has hosted a tournament on its own since the 1996 European Championships.
London and Glasgow were both host cities for the EUROs that took place last summer, however the tournament took place in 10 other destinations across the continent, including the likes of Baku and Saint Petersburg. In both of the previous EUROs and World Cup, there has been 12 stadiums and it is likely that Elland Road will be in the conversation.
Leeds United are planning to expand their current capacity, however there are currently 25 stadiums across the UK and Ireland that are bigger than Elland Road, which means they could be snubbed. Here at LeedsLive , we have rounded up the top 20.
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20. Páirc Uí Chaoimh – 45,000
Located in Cork, Páirc Uí Chaoimh is the smallest stadium in the top 20 that is currently under consideration. Four grounds from Ireland make the list, meaning it is unlikely it will get the nod.
19. Semple Stadium 45,690
The second Gaelic Football and Hurling Stadium to make the top 20 is the Semple Stadium, that is located in Thurles. With the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park bigger and more iconic, this may get overlooked.
18. Stadium of Light – 49,000
It is unlikely that both Newcastle and Sunderland will be chosen as host cities for the competition, however at just shy of a 50,000 capacity, the Stadium of Light will certainly be in the reckoning.
17. Ibrox – 50,817
Ibrox will be battling with its arch-rival Celtic, as well as Hampden Park to be the stadium that represents Glasgow at the tournament. The fact that it’s the smallest of the three, though, means it may be overlooked.
16. Aviva Stadium – 51,700
The home of Republic of Ireland, the Aviva Stadium, is almost guaranteed to be given the nod as it is the biggest football stadium in the country. It has generated some superb atmospheres in international matches in years gone by.
15. Hampden Park – 51,866
While Hampden Park holds only slightly more than Rangers’ Ibrox, where this may get the nod over that, as well as Celtic Park, is that it’s the home of the Scotland National Team, making it a staple for international football.
14. St. James’ Park – 52,404
Another club in England that are looking to expand on their stadium is Newcastle United, although it remains to be seen whether it will be pushed through in time by 2028. As mentioned previously, it is hard to see the Northeast getting two host cities, but this is arguably more likely to get the nod.
13. Everton’s new stadium – 52,888
It is likely that by the time EURO 2028 rolls around, Goodison Park will be no longer with Everton’s plans to move into a new stadium accelerating. Their new ground is set to be able to hold a total of 52,888, which gives them a great chance of making the top 12.
12. Anfield – 53,394
With their neighbours from across Merseyside set to move into a brand-new stadium at a similar size to this soon, Liverpool are hoping to increase their capacity to 61,000 by 2023, making it very likely to be a host destination.
11. Etihad Stadium – 55,017
While Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium is one of the best modern grounds in the country, they could run into a similar problem as Sunderland in the fact their near neighbours (Manchester United) are able to hold more spectators.
10. Emirates Stadium – 60,260
Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium will certainly be in the reckoning to be one of London’s hosting grounds due to its large capacity and modern look. It has a battle on its hands, though, with three bigger stadiums also in the city.
9. Celtic Park – 60,411
As aforementioned, Celtic Park will be battling it out with Ibrox and Hampden Park to be Glasgow’s representation at the EUROs. Where it holds the advantage is that it can hold almost 10,000 more spectators.
8. London Stadium – 62,500
West Ham United’s London Stadium has come in for criticism since the Hammers moved into it in 2016, however it has proven at the Olympics it is more than capable of hosting an international tournament.
7. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – 62,850
The biggest club stadium in London is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is arguably one of the most modern grounds in world sport. It would be difficult not to include this as one of the 12.
6. Murrayfield Stadium – 67,144
Although it is not used for football, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium is the host of Scotland’s Rugby Union side and could be an excellent venue to host a major international tournament.
5. Millennium Stadium – 73,971
The one and only stadium from Wales to make the list is the Millennium Stadium, which is host to the country’s Rugby Union team. This venue, though, has hosted plenty of huge football events, including the 2017 Champions League final.
4. Old Trafford – 74,140
Given its history of hosting a wide range of sporting events, it is difficult to look beyond Old Trafford as the North of England’s most likely to be given the nod.
3. Twickenham Stadium – 82,000
Another huge stadium in the city of London to make the list is England Rugby Union’s Twickenham although it is difficult to see this making the 12 due to the array of football grounds that are already perfectly capable in the area.
2. Croke Park – 82,300
Ireland’s biggest representation in the top 20 is another that plays host to both Gaelic Football and Hurling. While it is bigger than Aviva, it is hard to look beyond that as the stadium that will be Ireland’s representation.
1. Wembley – 90,000
The biggest stadium in the UK, the home of England’s football team and the host to all of the country’s major football events. This will be in the 12.
