FA chief Mark Bullingham: Critical the whole country feels involved in Euro 2028

Bid leaders have promised Euro 2028 will be accessible and affordable after UEFA officially awarded the tournament to the UK and Ireland.

The five-nation bid was formally approved on Tuesday, having gone into decision day unopposed following the withdrawal of Turkey.

Politicians including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the announcement, with the tournament set to bring £2.6billion in benefits to the host economies, according to analysts.

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said it was vital that the tournament be open to as many people from the five nations as possible.

Ten venues in nine cities were included in the final bid document submitted to UEFA in April – Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, Villa Park, Bramley-Moore Dock, St James’ Park, Hampden Park, the Aviva Stadium, a redeveloped Casement Park and the Principality Stadium.

Along with fan-zone sites and training grounds in other locations, Bullingham said the task was to ensure no-one feels cut off from the action, regardless of location or financial means.

“You’ve seen the selected stadia are spread throughout the whole of the country, so everyone has an event within touching distance,” he said in Nyon on Tuesday.

“It is critical that the whole country feels they are involved and we have that excitement throughout every part of the country.”

Bullingham confirmed all five countries would enter qualification, with UEFA having reserved two ‘safety net’ places for any that miss out.

Tickets for Euro 2024 start at 30 euros (£26) and, asked about how important it was to ensure affordability, Bullingham said: “We will absolutely always do that.

“We want the whole country to be engaged and experience being part of the Euros.”

CYHOEDDIAD

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