Euro 2032 Host Countries: Italy and Turkey to Co-host Tournament

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has officially accepted the joint bid from Turkey and Italy to host the 2032 European Football Championship (EURO 2032). This landmark decision marks the first time Turkey will co-host a major international football tournament, sharing the honors with reigning European champions, Italy.

EURO 2028 is slated to be hosted by the UK and Ireland, paving the way for a diverse range of European nations to showcase their football passion and organizational capabilities in the coming years. Mehmet Büyükekşi, President of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), hailed the decision as a crowning achievement for the Republic of Turkey and the TFF in their centennial year.

Turkey had initially bid for both the 2028 and 2032 tournaments. However, strategic negotiations led to Turkey withdrawing its bid for EURO 2028 to join forces with Italy for the EURO 2032 bid, which ultimately proved successful. While Turkey hosted the UEFA Champions League final last year, the nation has yet to host a major international football tournament, making EURO 2032 a significant milestone for Turkish football.

Italy, a nation steeped in football history and the current European Champion, has previously hosted the Euros in 1968 and 1980. Rome’s Stadio Olimpico was also among the venues for the multi-national EURO 2020, demonstrating Italy’s continued capacity to host high-profile football events.

In a joint statement, the Turkish and Italian Football Federations declared their commitment to “working with great passion and dedication in close cooperation to deliver the ultimate EURO experience to fans in 2032.” The official motto of the joint bid, “Play as One,” encapsulates the spirit of collaboration and unity driving this partnership.

The tournament’s ambassadors are iconic goalkeepers: Volkan Demirel for Turkey and Gianluigi Buffon for Italy. Both ambassadors were present at the UEFA ceremony in Nyon, Switzerland, underscoring the prestige and importance of this joint venture for both nations.

Both federations have submitted lists of ten candidate stadiums to UEFA, from which five venues in each country will be selected to host EURO 2032 matches.

Italy’s candidate stadiums include:

• Milan: Stadio San Siro – Giuseppe Meazza
• Rome: Stadio Olimpico
• Bari: Stadio San Nicola (to be renovated)
• Naples: Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (to be renovated)
• Florence: Stadio Artemio Franchi (new stadium)
• Torino: Juventus Stadium
• Genoa: Stadio Luigi Ferraris (to be renovated)
• Verona: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi (to be renovated)
• Bologna: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (new stadium)
• Cagliari: Stadio Sant’Elia (new stadium)

Turkey’s candidate stadiums are:

• Istanbul: Atatürk Olympic Stadium (to be renovated)
• Ankara: New Ankara Stadium (new stadium)
• Istanbul: Ali Sami Yen Stadium
• Istanbul: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
• Bursa: Timsah Arena
• Trabzon: Şenol Güneş Sports Complex
• Konya: Konya Metropolitan Stadium
• Gaziantep: Gaziantep Kalyon Stadium
• Eskişehir: Eskişehir Stadium
• Antalya: Antalya Stadium

For Turkey, co-hosting EURO 2032 is of paramount importance for the development of its football infrastructure and the growth of its player pool. Sports editor Zübeyde Özcan highlighted that hosting such a prestigious tournament places a significant responsibility on Turkey, not only to upgrade its technical infrastructure but also to strategically plan and organize for the advancement of Turkish football on a national scale.

Murat Çolakoğlu, Tivibu Spor Editor, pointed out that the Turkish national team’s recent tournament performances have been underwhelming. Hosting EURO 2032 guarantees Turkey’s participation in the tournament, which is crucial. The nine-year lead time offers a valuable window for meticulous planning and addressing long-standing issues in Turkish football, particularly stadium ground conditions. Çolakoğlu emphasized that “because eyes will be on you before the tournament, and the stadiums to be used will be constantly monitored. This requires a good public relations process.”

Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi emphasized the opportunity EURO 2032 presents for both participating cities and the relationship between Italy and Turkey. Speaking to Ansa news agency, Abodi stated, “Euro 2032 is a great opportunity that will create positive legacies not only in the cities directly involved in the event, but also long before this event.” The Italian Minister also expressed hope that hosting the championship would not only boost tourism but also “contribute to the development of political relations in the interest of peace.”

The joint bid is particularly significant for Italy, which has been perceived to lag behind in stadium infrastructure development compared to Turkey. Turkey’s more modern football infrastructure was seen as a considerable advantage in the joint bid. Minister Abodi affirmed the Italian government’s commitment to supporting infrastructure development in preparation for the championship. “We will give full support to the football federation. Our goal is to improve the infrastructure, management model and relations with the fans,” he stated.

Zübeyde Özcan also noted Turkey’s stronger position regarding stadiums in the partnership, suggesting, “If Italy’s joint organization proposal had not been accepted, Turkey would have had a high chance of hosting the tournament alone.”

President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, described the achievement as a “historic turning point” for Italy, which has been striving to host such a major tournament for years. Speaking to Sky Sport24, Gravina highlighted that “we have not had the chance to organize such an important football tournament since 1990,” adding that EURO 2032 provides Italy with an opportunity to demonstrate its “great organizational and managerial capacity.”

Gravina also emphasized the unifying aspect of the partnership with Turkey: “Football is a tool for interaction, a cultural phenomenon that breaks down all barriers, and this championship is one of the most important opportunities at European level in this respect.”

Murat Çolakoğlu pointed out that while Turkey may lack experience in hosting a full European Championship compared to Italy, it has successfully hosted high-profile single-match finals. However, he acknowledged that a month-long tournament like the Euros presents a different set of challenges. Çolakoğlu believes that “the greatest advantage of doing this job together with Italy will be in terms of artistic, aesthetic and PR aspects.”

While Turkey has never hosted a major international football tournament, it has hosted several significant finals, including the 2005 Champions League final at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium, the 2009 UEFA Cup Final at Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, the 2019 UEFA Super Cup Final at Vodafone Park Stadium, and most recently, the 2023 Champions League Final again at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium. Çolakoğlu also emphasized the significant tourism boost that the Italy-Turkey partnership could bring to both countries.

Regarding the benefits for Turkish football, Çolakoğlu believes hosting EURO 2032 could be a catalyst for discovering young talent and providing them with invaluable experience at the national level before reaching the senior national team. He draws a parallel with Turkish volleyball, where a young generation rose to global prominence through consistent play and development. He suggests a similar systematic approach is needed in football, emphasizing that hosting is a positive step but needs to be underpinned by developing talented players who can achieve success.

Özcan referenced Morocco’s semi-final success in the 2022 World Cup as an example of strategic long-term football development, highlighting the Moroccan Football Federation’s project to integrate diaspora players into the national team. This initiative saw European-born Moroccan players like Achraf Hakimi, Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat, and Noussair Mazraoui choosing to represent Morocco. In fact, 14 of the 26 players in Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad were born outside the country, demonstrating the success of tapping into the talent pool of the Moroccan diaspora in Europe.

Özcan concludes that Turkey has a responsibility not only to provide the technical infrastructure but also to impress with its football performance as a host nation. “Our perspective of ‘let’s not be a laughing stock’ may be useful here,” she suggests, highlighting the importance of national pride and competitive performance on the international stage.

TFF President Büyükekşi stated that hosting EURO 2032 is “proof of not only the two countries’ passion for football but also their strong commitment to promoting international cooperation.” He added, “I believe that when Turkey’s rich football history is combined with Italy’s deep-rooted football heritage, it will be an exciting and unforgettable tournament for fans in Europe and around the world.”

Turkey had previously bid to co-host EURO 2008 with Greece and made solo bids for EURO 2012, EURO 2016, and EURO 2024. EURO 2032 will be equally distributed between Italy and Turkey. The host cities will be finalized by 2026, along with decisions on venues for the qualifying group and final tournament draws, as well as the locations for the opening and final matches.