St James Park could host Euro 2028 fixtures after host city bid is confirmed

Newcastle United and Newcastle City Council have submitted a bid to host Euro 2028 fixtures at St James Park.

The UK and Ireland looked set to be confirmed as host countries for the tournament before Turkey submitting an application before the March deadline.

UEFA will announce the winning entrant next September and St James Park is in the mix to host games should the UK and Ireland be given the nod.

The Magpies famous old home far surpasses the criteria required to matches, with a minimum capacity of 30,000 required.

It would not be the first time St James Park has hosted fixtures during an international tournament after the likes of France, Bulgaria and Romania travelled to Tyneside during Euro 96.

The stadium has also hosted football fixtures during the Olympics in 2012, as well as high-profile Rugby Union games in the World Cup and Heineken Cup.

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson confirmed the bid to host Euro 2028 games on Tyneside, saying: “We are pleased to have been invited by the FA to bid to be a host city as part of their bid to host the Euros Football Championships in 2028.

“This is fantastic news for the city, and demonstrates that we can compete with the rest of the UK to host major events. The tournament is viewed by three billion people worldwide, and hosting it would put Newcastle on an international stage and bring significant social and economic benefits to the city.

“At this stage, the FA have requested an early response from bidding cities that they can commit to meeting the requirements necessary to qualify as a potential host city. The process is extremely competitive as we go up against many other leading football cities with stadiums that meet the requirements of the FA and UEFA.

“The invitation is on the back of Newcastle delivering successful global tournaments including Olympic football, Rugby Union World Cup, and the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.”

Russia had also made a bid to host the tournament but have been deemed ineligible following the invasion of Ukraine and they have also been banned from competing at Euro 2024.