Old Trafford is the largest club football stadium in the UK, but it is not a host venue for the 2028 European Championship after being withdrawn from the selection process
Old Trafford won’t be hosting matches during the 2028 European Championship after being pulled from the venue selection process.
Whilst Manchester United’s ground is the biggest club football stadium in the UK, it was removed from consideration for Euro 2028 two years ago because of the club’s redevelopment plans.
United were unwilling to guarantee their stadium would be available for the tournament, and a joint decision was made with the Football Association to take it out of the running.
The FA had included Old Trafford on their initial shortlist when submitting their preliminary bid documents to UEFA, but United then revealed they were reviewing the stadium’s long-term future.
Following talks between United and the FA, it was decided the ground would be struck off the potential host venue list as firm commitments couldn’t be provided for 2028, reports the Manchester Evening News.
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United have now opted to completely rebuild Old Trafford instead of renovating the existing structure.
A 2023 statement from United confirmed Old Trafford’s withdrawal from the potential venues, reading: “Manchester United was pleased to put Old Trafford forward as a potential host of UEFA Euro 2028 matches and proud of the strong case we made.
“However, during follow-up discussions with the FA, it became clear that we were unable to provide the necessary certainty around availability of Old Trafford due to potential redevelopment of the stadium. As a result, we have mutually agreed to withdraw from the shortlist of potential hosts.
“We are committed to maintaining Old Trafford’s status as the largest and most iconic club football ground in England and look forward to future opportunities to host international matches and major events at the Theatre of Dreams.”
Nine stadiums have been selected to host matches for Euro 2028, which will be hosted in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Four national stadiums will be used along with five English club grounds.
The nine host stadiums for Euro 2028.
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)
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