The European football association UEFA has approved Italy and Turkey’s joint bid for the 2032 European Championship. The award is now considered secure. Great Britain and Ireland come into play four years earlier.
The deal is not yet formally perfect, but the election on October 10, 2023 is now just a formality. UEFA announced on Wednesday (October 4, 2023) that the joint application from Italy and Turkey to host the 2032 European Championship had been “duly received and accepted”. Turkey has therefore withdrawn its application for the 2028 European Championship.
Since there is only one candidate for 2028 with the joint application from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, the election by the UEFA Executive Committee is considered certain. Italy and Turkey therefore have a clear path for 2032, as they are the only applicants for this tournament.
EURO 2024 will take place in Germany from June 14th to July 14th.
First, competitors
Italy and Turkey had actually applied as competitors for the 2032 European Championship. At the end of July they applied to UEFA to allow them to apply together for the tournament.
UEFA demanded: applicant countries must be “close lie together”
In the announcement of the two tournaments at the end of 2021, UEFA announced that joint applications are generally permitted, “as long as the applicant countries are close to each other”. A more detailed definition of “close to each other” was missing. She has now been hit.