Soccer Football - Euro 2028 & Euro 2032 Hosts Announcement - Nyon, Switzerland - October 10, 2023 General view during the announcement REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
(Reuters) - The United Kingdom and Ireland will host the 2028 European Championship, while Italy and Turkey will stage the 2032 edition of the tournament, UEFA said on Tuesday.
Here is reaction to the announcement:
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK
"I grew up with Euro 96 being one of the most amazing memories of my childhood. And we have a chance to do that all over again for lots more people just like we did last year with the Lionesses.
"We host tournaments better than anyone else. It's going to be a massive boost for the economy. We're going to welcome millions of people to the country, and it’s going to inspire a whole new generation."
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE MARK BULLINGHAM
"We're delighted. It's been three years of hard work to get to this point. It's fantastic for us and the country, the home nations and Ireland. We're really looking forward to it.
"We worked really hard to put together a really strong bid and we think that's probably the reason we were unopposed in the end."
WALES FA CHIEF EXECUTIVE NOEL MOONEY
"In football, we've had great success on the pitch since 2016, but to bring the tournament to Wales is a special day for us.
"We'd like the national stadium of Wales to host the opening match, the perfect venue, and a quarter-final. That's up to UEFA to choose."
IRISH PRIME MINISTER LEO VARADKAR
"I am over the moon that Ireland and the UK will co-host Euro 2028. Congratulations to @FAIreland and all involved in winning the bid. It will be the biggest event ever hosted by our two islands working together.
"We're willing to invest in the Aviva Stadium and Casement Park to ensure our stadia, north and south, are ready to welcome the world."
SCOTLAND'S FIRST MINISTER HUMZA YOUSAF
"Football is Scotland's national game and a powerful force for good in communities right across the country. It is this combination which underpinned the Scottish government's support for the successful joint bid.
"Hosting the Euros in Scotland will provide a range of opportunities, not only through the economic benefits of visiting fans, but through a strong legacy programme that will help grow a more inclusive and diverse game right across the country."
FORMER WALES INTERNATIONAL GARETH BALE
"It's important especially for Wales to keep on the map, to keep pushing forward, to keep trying to better ourselves. I think having a major tournament in our country is massively important. I'm glad I can be a part of it again."
NORTHERN IRELAND MANAGER MICHAEL O'NEILL
"It's great news, delighted. I know a lot of work has gone in and Patrick Nelson and other people at the IFA have been working towards this, a long number of years."
IRISH FA CHIEF EXECUTIVE PATRICK NELSON
"We've been part of this bid since day one and we want to be a full part of it all the way through to 2028. That means we need to have a stadium in Belfast that has the right capacity to cope.
"We do not want to be sitting on the sidelines in 2028. This is going to be a fantastic festival of football and Belfast deserves to be part of it. It's our time."
UK SPORTS MINISTER STUART ANDREW
"I'm delighted the UK and Ireland will be hosting EURO 2028. We have the experience, the stadiums and most importantly some of the most passionate football fans in the world.
"We have a fantastic track record of staging the world's biggest sporting events and EURO 2028 will be no exception in what will be an incredible festival of football."
MEHMET BUYUKEKSI, TURKISH FOOTBALL FEDERATION PRESIDENT
"It is news that makes us happy, we had tried five times without success, and now we have a historic result.
"We do it in tandem with Italy, the country of design, Turkey is an industrial country in strong development, together we can create strong synergies."
GIANLUIGI BUFFON, ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION DELEGATION CHIEF
"This must be an opportunity to modernise the structures and give one more push to the world of football. We have nine years, so we can think of something that gives long-term benefits.
"One of the regrets of my career is that I didn't play a World Cup or Euros in Italy."
GABRIELE GRAVINA, ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION PRESIDENT
"For Italy, it's a historical day. After many years, from 1990 Italy did not have the opportunity to organise such an important football event.
"It's an opportunity that could be useful to awaken the interest, consciousness but especially the interest of football teams and football clubs to offer to their fans and supporters one of the most beautiful stadiums and infrastructure."
(Compiled by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
