Boris Johnson has slammed Russia's bid to host either Euro 2028 or 2032 amid Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which has already led to thousands of deaths in Europe.
The Russian Football Union announced their intention to host one of the upcoming tournaments, despite the ban imposed by FIFA and UEFA. Russian clubs and the national side are banned from competing overseas amid the conflict.
The UK and the Republic of Ireland have submitted a joint bid to host Euro 2028 and were not expecting to be rivalled, yet Russia and Turkey are both now keen on staging the tournament. Russia, Turkey and Italy have expressed an interest to host Euro 2032.
"I think it beyond satire that any any football organisation - no matter how bonkers and driven by lucre they may be - would want to give Russia in the present circumstances the right to host a tournament," Johnson told LBC on Thursday morning. "It simply seems beyond comprehension. So I can't believe it's really a runner."
Many believe Russia's bid is simply to antagonise the West after Putin's regime was sanctioned by dozens of countries - including the UK - in response to the conflict in Ukraine. It's been exactly a month since Putin ordered his troops to invade the sovereign stage.
Russia's bid is expected to be quashed, yet there is a chance they could host either tournament. The country does have the infrastructure in place to stage Euro 2028 after hosting the World Cup in 2018, which was - at the time - viewed as a success.
And UEFA are not expected to make a decision on the hosts for Euro 2028 and 2032 until next September. The war could be over by that point and UEFA may be willing to listen to Russia's proposal if they're serious about hosting another tournament.
FIFA have a questionable record when deciding the host nation for tournaments. Russia and Qatar both have poor human rights records, yet were awarded the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 respectively. Nothing can be taken for granted.
The UK and the Republic of Ireland remain the favourites to host Euro 2028. The governing bodies of football in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland had initially planned on bidding for the World Cup in 2030.
"On balance, the five associations have decided to focus solely on an official bid to host UEFA Euro 2028, and have agreed not to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup," read a joint statement from the five governing bodies. "Hosting a UEFA Euro offers a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner.
"It would be an honour and a privilege to collectively host UEFA Euro 2028 and to welcome all of Europe. It would also be a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the true impact of hosting a world-class football tournament by driving positive change and leaving a lasting legacy across our communities.
"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."
