Old Trafford's Euro 2028 Dream Ends
In a significant development for English football, Old Trafford will not host any matches during the 2028 European Championship. This decision concludes a process that began two years ago when the iconic stadium was withdrawn from the venue selection process. Despite being the largest club football ground in the United Kingdom, the home of Manchester United was removed from consideration following discussions between the club and the Football Association.
The Reason Behind the Withdrawal
The core issue centred on Manchester United's redevelopment plans for their historic ground. When the FA initially submitted its preliminary bid documents to UEFA, Old Trafford featured on the shortlist of potential host venues. However, the club subsequently revealed it was reviewing the stadium's long-term future, casting uncertainty over its availability for the tournament in 2028.
During follow-up talks, United were unable to provide the necessary guarantees that the stadium would be available. This led to a mutual agreement with the FA to withdraw Old Trafford from the running. A statement from Manchester United in 2023 confirmed this, expressing pride in the strong case they had made but acknowledging the impossibility of providing firm commitments due to the potential redevelopment.
A New Era for the Theatre of Dreams
The club has since decided to pursue an ambitious plan to completely rebuild Old Trafford, rather than simply renovating the existing structure. This monumental project, with estimates suggesting a cost of around £2 billion, signifies a new chapter for the Theatre of Dreams. The club remains committed to maintaining the stadium's status as England's largest and most iconic club football ground and looks forward to hosting international matches and major events in the future.
With Old Trafford out of the picture, the tournament organisers have selected nine other stadiums across the UK and the Republic of Ireland to host Euro 2028 matches. The final list of host venues includes four national stadiums and five English club grounds.
The nine host stadiums for Euro 2028 are:
- London - Wembley Stadium (90,652)
- Cardiff - National Stadium of Wales (73,952)
- London - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (62,322)
- Manchester - Manchester City Stadium (61,000)
- Liverpool - Everton Stadium (52,679)
- Newcastle - St James’ Park (52,305)
- Birmingham - Villa Park (52,190)
- Glasgow - Hampden Park (52,032)
- Dublin - Dublin Arena (51,711)
