INTERNATIONAL: Britain and Ireland have announced plans for a bid to host the 2028 European Championship, the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland said in a joint statement on Monday 7th of February.

UK and Ireland have dropped plans to bid for the 2030 World Cup and will focus on the Euros following a feasibility study that analysed the economic impact and estimated costs of hosting major international tournaments.

"We believe the UK and the Republic of Ireland can offer UEFA and European football something special in 2028 – a compact and unique five-way hosting collaboration that will provide a great experience for the teams and the fans."

UEFA said in October that countries interested in hosting the 2028 European Championship must confirm their bid by March.

However, Europe's soccer governing body also said automatic qualification as hosts will not be guaranteed if more than two countries submit a joint bid.

The bidders will be announced in April while the hosts will be appointed in September, 2023. Italy are also planning to put forward a proposal to host either the 2028 or 2032 Euros.

Euro 2020, postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be held in several host cities across Europe, with England hosting a few games including the semi-finals and final at Wembley Stadium which has a capacity of 90,000.

The 2024 tournament will be hosted by Germany.