UEFA have formally announced that the 2028 men’s European Championships will be held in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland ©Getty Images

UEFA have formally announced that the 2028 men's European Championships will be held in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with Italy and Turkey set to stage the 2032 edition of the tournament.

The 2028 tournament is set to be staged in June and July in cities across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

It is expected that Cardiff will host the opening match with a provisional date of June 16, 2028.

The tournament is is expected to last for a month.

Gareth Bale, who played a starring role when Wales reached the semi-finals in 2016, joined a group of fans on stage for the formal announcement.

Gareth Bale, left, was present for the formal announcement that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will co-host in 2028 ©Getty Images
Gareth Bale, left, was present for the formal announcement that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will co-host in 2028 ©Getty Images

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is one of two London venues earmarked for the tournament.

The Final is expected to take place at Wembley.

Everton's new stadium under construction at Bramley-Moore Dock in Liverpool is also expected to play a major role although the historic Hampden Park is set to be the only Scottish stadium used.

Dublin's Aviva Stadium is also expected to be included on the schedule.

It is customary for the hosting nation to be granted automatic qualification but as there are five host nations in this case, they will be obliged to qualify for 2028.

The Football Association had indicated that England wanted to participate in qualifying in any case to give the team the opportunity for more competitive matches in the build-up to the tournament.

It is anticipated that the two host nations with the best record will proceed to the tournament although precise details of the qualification process have not yet been revealed.

Italy elected as co-hosts in 2032 with Turkey lifted the European Championships trophy in 2021 when the final was held at Wembley ©Getty Images
Italy elected as co-hosts in 2032 with Turkey lifted the European Championships trophy in 2021 when the final was held at Wembley ©Getty Images

The European Championships was inaugurated in 1960 when the the host nation for semi-finals and final was only selected after the identities of the four semi-finalists had become known.

In 1980, an eight-team tournament was held for the first time in Italy.

The competition was expanded to 16 in 1996, the last time England had previously staged the full men's European Championships.

The tournament was first co-hosted in the year 2000 by Belgium and the Netherlands.

In 2008, Austria and Switzerland both staged matches with a final in Vienna. 

In 2012, Kyiv was the setting for the final with earlier matches played in both Ukraine and Poland.

The delayed 2020 tournament was held in cities around Europe in 2021 before a final at Wembley. 

The next European Championships final tournament is set to begin in Germany on June 14 2024.

Last year, the women's UEFA European Championships were held in England and considered highly successful.