Anfield and Old Trafford Will Not Host Euro 2028 Matches

The UK and Ireland joined forces to submit a bid to host the Euro 2028 Championship, and UEFA has since confirmed their selection as hosts. However, while this week’s announcement regarding the chosen stadiums – and particularly which venues England will play in, should they qualify – might have been expected to drum up further anticipation, the reaction has been somewhat underwhelming.

Wembley Stadium will, of course, take centre stage, hosting the final and several knockout matches. Glasgow’s Hampden Park, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, and the new grounds of Everton and Tottenham will also feature among the venues. Elsewhere, should the Three Lions qualify directly, they are set to begin their first European Championship campaign under Thomas Tuchel at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. See the full list of stadiums below:

Surprisingly, though, two major stadiums have missed out on hosting duties: Liverpool’s iconic Anfield and Manchester United’s high-capacity but ageing Old Trafford. While their omissions seem bizarre, explanations have since emerged for both.

Why Anfield Won’t Host Any Euro 2028 Matches

Anfield is one of the biggest absentees from the final stadium submission, with the ground known for its incredible atmosphere and history. But regulations set out by UEFA state that for a pitch to host tournament games, the dimensions must be 105 metres by 68 metres – and, unfortunately, Anfield falls short by 4 metres.

It’s the proximity of the stands that prevents Liverpool from extending the pitch to suit the football organisation’s parameters, according to the Liverpool Echo. This is, however, not breaking news and has become a regular occurrence for the Merseyside club. Neither the Champions League nor the Europa League are able to host their respective finals at Anfield for the same reason, and it also explains why the England national team has not stepped foot on the hallowed turf since 2006.

Anfield was last used for a major tournament when England hosted Euro 1996, staging Group C matches involving Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as a quarter-final between France and the Netherlands. But it will be their rival’s new stadium that will bear the torch for Merseyside, with Everton’s 52,769-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium hosting matches instead.

Indeed, this means the smaller venue has been picked, but the rules are the rules, and Liverpool supporters will likely be unfussed by the omission considering the region’s general disinterest in international football.

Old Trafford Won’t Be Used At Euro 2028 Either

Although the Theatre of Dreams has been in need of some TLC in recent years – with videos of its leaky roof going viral after heavy rain made the Red Devils’ home resemble a waterfall – Old Trafford remains a major part of England’s tourism appeal. Fans travelling to the UK in three years’ time will likely be disappointed that they won’t be able to watch a game at the historic venue.

However, unlike Anfield, which is ineligible due to its pitch size, Old Trafford’s exclusion comes down to uncertainty over its readiness for the tournament. According to the Manchester Evening News, although the stadium was initially shortlisted by the Football Association (FA) in their proposal to UEFA, Manchester United had already made their redevelopment plans clear.

When the preliminary bid became public in November 2022, United were working under the assumption that Old Trafford would be available to host Euro 2028 matches. But following discussions between the 13-time Premier League champions and the FA, both parties agreed it was best to withdraw the venue from consideration, as there was no guarantee the stadium – located in Greater Manchester – would be fit to host games.

Since then, the club has shifted its focus from restoring the current stadium to a much larger redevelopment of the entire Old Trafford site. The new vision centres on building a larger, state-of-the-art stadium with a proposed capacity of around 100,000. However, with no confirmed timeline for construction, the future of Man United’s home remains uncertain.