European football chiefs on Tuesday anointed 10 stadiums in Britain and the Republic of Ireland to host the 2028 European championships.
Uefa - which organises the 24-team event every four years - gave the green light to the dual bid after Turkish football bosses withdrew their plan for 2028 to focus on a joint hosting deal with Italy for Euro 2032.
It is understood that the Principality Stadium in Cardiff will host the opening match of the 2028 tournament and the final will be held in London at Wembley Stadium - the venue for the 2021 European championships.
"The UK and Ireland thanks Uefa for its confidence to award Uefa Euro 2028 to the five association partnership, and congratulates Italy and Turkey on their appointment for Uefa Euro 2032," read a joint statement from the five football associations in Britain and Ireland.
Turkey last week withdrew from the bidding process for Euro 2028, clearing the path for Britain and Ireland, who shelved plans to try to host the 2030 World Cup so that they could concentrate on staging the European championships.
Six of the proposed venues for the 2028 tournament are in England, with two stadiums in London and others in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Casement Park in Belfast, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Aviva Stadium in Dublin have also been earmarked for matches.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar used the jargon of the game to welcome the success.
"I am over the moon that Ireland and the UK will co-host Euro 2028," he said.
I am over the moon that Ireland and the UK will co-host EURO 2028. Congratulations to @FAIreland & all involved in winning the bid. It will be the biggest event ever hosted by our two islands working together. Great to be joined by Victoria, Dylan & Eoin from @CastleknockCFC⚽️ pic.twitter.com/IVMe536gPJ
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) October 10, 2023
"It will be the biggest event ever hosted by our two islands working together," he added.
Turkey, which hosted this year's Champions League final in Istanbul in June, has tried to host a tournament since 2008 but never been awarded a major international competition.
"The heart of football will beat in Turkey in 2032!" said the country's Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak on social media in response to the Uefa announcement.
"We are happy to host #EURO2032 with the friendly country Italy. It is an honour to be rewarded for the steps we have taken in the 100th anniversary of our beautiful country, which we have woven together with investments into sport."
Concept
Co-hosting by five countries in 2028 and two in 2032 follows the 13-nation project that was lined up for Euro 2020.
That was eventually reduced to 11 when the tournament was played during the Covid-19 pandemic one year behind schedule.
The latest multi-nation project palls in significance though to the tri-continental extravaganza announced last week by world football's governing body Fifa for the 2030 World Cup.
A European-led bid that started with Spain and Portugal, then added Morocco and was expanded to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay where the inaugural 1930 tournament was played.
The 2030 bidding deal allowed Fifa to entertain offers for the 2034 tournament and restrict it to member federations from Oceania and Asia. Saudi Arabia immediately announced its desire to stage the World Cup.
