Statement in respect of submission of preliminary bid to UEFA following football associations’ press release on Wednesday 16 November

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport, Jack Chambers, today reiterated the Irish Government’s support for the Ireland and UK joint bid to host the Euro 2028 Championships.

On Tuesday 15 November, the government agreed to support the submission of a preliminary bid by the Football Association of Ireland for the proposed joint Ireland and UK bid to host UEFA EURO 2028. The preliminary bid was submitted earlier today by the five football associations.

The government recognises the scale of opportunity jointly hosting EURO 2028 represents and, in line with its support, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media will continue to work with the FAI, Dublin City Council, partner governments, Football Associations and other stakeholders on the detailed analysis of the costs and benefits of hosting in advance of a final bid.

Minister Martin, said:

“The government has agreed to support the Football Association of Ireland and the joint bid of Ireland and the UK with their submission of the preliminary bid dossier for UEFA EURO 2028. My officials will continue their examination of the costs and benefits of hosting the tournament through the next phase of the process and prior to any decision in relation to supporting a final bid in April 2023. This tournament has the potential to deliver many benefits, particularly to Ireland’s recovering tourism sector.”

Minister Chambers said:

“I am delighted to confirm government support for this preliminary bid for EURO 2028. I am confident we would be able to host a fantastic tournament for football fans which would place Ireland on the world stage and attract tens of thousands of visitors to our shores. Hosting EURO 2028 would also be a huge boost for football in this country with increased participation and would leave a lasting legacy to develop the game further, as well as strengthening ties with our partners north-south and east-west. We now look forward to engaging with UEFA in the next phase of the bid process and will continue to work with our football and government partners to develop our hosting proposal further over the coming months.”

Notes

Q1 Is it possible to see the content of the bid?

the initial phase of process is ongoing. Bidding regulations dictate all content cannot be published
however, the overall bid vision statement has been announced: Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future’
this vision articulates why the bid partners have a strong desire to host this event – and what our unique offer would be for fans, teams, UEFA and all of European football

Q2 When is the hosting decision?

the Bid Partners are working closely together in full collaboration, focussed on delivering a bold and compelling bid in line with the timelines set by UEFA, with decision in September 2023
if this date does move that would be a matter for UEFA and it would be inappropriate to speculate on a potential date move at this time

Q3 What are the next steps of the bid?

the bid team will engage with UEFA on feedback on the preliminary dossier while further developing the bid
the government will continue the examination of the costs and benefits of hosting the tournament through the next phase of the process and prior to any decision in relation to supporting a final bid
UEFA’s deadline for submission of the final bid dossier is in April 2023

Q4 What would be the breakdown of EURO game and how many would be hosted in Ireland?

options are being worked through right now but it is too early to say at this stage
a match schedule has been submitted as part of the preliminary bid dossier but this is subject to further consultation and input from UEFA at the appropriate time
there is a lot of detail to be worked through before anything is finalised

Q5 How many host nations will be able to qualify automatically?

it is too early to comment on qualification
a discussion about this will take place with UEFA at the appropriate time if the bid is successful

Q6 Which stadia have been selected to host matches in Ireland?

the stadia concept for the Preliminary Bid Dossier includes a proposed shortlist of 14 venues
this includes Croke Park and the Dublin Arena (Aviva Stadium) in Dublin
a final list of 10 stadia from across the partnership will be submitted to UEFA in April 2023
following consultations, and if the bid is successful, UEFA will approve the selection of host cities and stadia in 2023
based on UEFA’s requirements, the stadium selection process in England required stadia to have 33,000 seats by 2027. Both Croke Park and the Dublin Arena would meet and surpass this criterion

Q7 What will be the benefits of hosting the EURO?

work undertaken by Football Association and Government Partners indicates that a UEFA EURO 2028 in the UK and Ireland would generate significant socio-economic benefits in Ireland
should the bid be successful the government will work with the FAI, other bid partners and other stakeholders to ensure that these benefits are maximised through specific Programmes where appropriate

Q8 How much will hosting the tournament cost?

analysis of likely cost is part of the detailed evaluation of the event. This is ongoing
all costs are being scrutinised in great detail – this will continue into next year ahead of the final bid submission

Q9 Do you think that this campaign will be successful and why?

the partnership is developing an exciting bid proposal to UEFA and European football – based on a clear and compelling vision: ‘Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future’
this expresses a commitment to diversity, social purpose and innovation in delivering an outstanding and sustainable UEFA EURO 2028
we are confident that we can stage a successful EURO that will be a great football celebration for fans and teams
Dublin was ready to host a fantastic series of games as part of EURO 2020 which unfortunately could not ultimately go ahead due to the pandemic
this is a great opportunity to host this prestigious event so soon after that disappointment and to use the knowledge and expertise that was built up across Government, the FAI, Dublin City Council and other partners in preparation for that event

Q10 What does ‘Football for all. Football for good. Football for the future’ mean?

this is the vision laid out in the bid dossier and articulates why the partnership as whole has a strong desire to host this amazing event – and what our unique offer would be for fans, teams, UEFA and all of European football
the partners want to collaborate with UEFA and member associations to host a landmark celebration that will captivate the whole continent and beyond to drive football development
the partnership wants to provide the perfect stage for the most commercially successful and sustainable EURO ever, embracing innovation and creativity to reach new audiences and engage younger and more diverse fans

Statement in respect of submission of preliminary bid to UEFA following football associations’ press release on Wednesday 16 November

Notes

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