Cardiff council is bidding to host some of the football matches for the Euro 2028 tournament at the Principality Stadium.
Football associations in Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are jointly bidding to host the Uefa European Championship in six years.
Some of the games could be played in Cardiff, now that the council’s cabinet has formally declared its support for the bid and intention to host some of the fixtures.
Read more: Wales bid to co-host Euro 2028 in move that 'will have immeasurable impact' on country
Council bosses said it would build on the success of Cardiff hosting the Champions League final in 2017, when Real Madrid played Juventus, and could rival the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Councillor Peter Bradbury, cabinet member for culture and leisure, said: “We have been asked whether we as a city would be interested in hosting some games as part of the bid. With the Principality Stadium being one of the premier sporting venues, in terms of capacity and facilities, right across the UK, it’s a sound and natural step for us.
“Wales have been hugely successful in the last two European championships, getting out of their group twice. Wouldn’t it be great, as a host nation, if we were able to see Wales play in our country in a major international tournament? That’s what we’re talking about.”
The council’s cabinet signed off its commitment during a meeting on Thursday, March 10.
Hosting the Champions League final is thought to have brought in more than £42m in additional spending to Cardiff, with hundreds of thousands of football fans visiting the city centre for the game. It’s expected that hosting Euro 2028 could bring even bigger economic benefits.
Council leader Huw Thomas said: “We have shown time and again that Cardiff is a superlative events city with a great track record of putting on world-class events, like the Champions League final, world championship boxing, Test cricket matches, the Volvo Ocean Race, and of course, the Rugby World Cup in 1999.
“If a decision is taken to bid and Cardiff is selected as a host city, then the event could really act as the backbone of our events strategy for the next six years and beyond, and help to ensure that all the great plans we have for Cardiff and to accelerate our recovery from the pandemic come to fruition.”
The deadline to submit an interest is March 23. Uefa will announce the list of bidders on April 5, at which point the UK and Ireland will likely enter into the formal bidding process. The host is set to be revealed in September next year.
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