29-7-2023 (ROME) Italy and Türkiye have announced their joint bid to host the UEFA European Football Championship in 2032. The proposal, pending approval, appears highly likely to succeed, virtually ensuring that both countries will co-host the prestigious event. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom and Ireland are now all but guaranteed to host the 2028 edition of the tournament.
The official hosts for both championships will be revealed on October 10.
Italy declared its candidacy for the 2032 tournament back in April, swiftly followed by Türkiye, which submitted its bid for both the 2028 and 2032 events. During the selection process, Türkiye and the joint bid from the four United Kingdom football federations and Ireland emerged as the primary contenders for the 2028 tournament, while Italy and Türkiye became the main candidates for the 2032 championship.
The agreement between Italy and Türkiye involves Türkiye withdrawing its candidacy for the 2028 tournament, leaving just one remaining bid for each of the two events.
UEFA, in a statement, affirmed its commitment to collaborating with the football associations of both countries to ensure that their joint bid adheres to all technical requirements. The organization stated, “UEFA will now work with the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) and TFF (Turkish Football Federation) to ensure that the documentation to be submitted for their joint bid is compliant with the bidding requirements.”
Notably, the decision for two candidate countries to merge their bids is an unusual and historic development in the quest to elevate football in Europe. FIGC president Gabriele Gravina hailed the move as “a historic turning point” in the efforts to enhance the sport’s prominence on the continent.
