Federations from Italy and Turkey have officially teamed up to make a bid to host the UEFA Euro 2032. The two nations previously expressed solo bids but will now join forces. They are currently the only countries to make official offers to the governing body of the sport in Europe.
“UEFA confirms that it has received today a request from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to merge their individual bids into one joint bid to host UEFA EURO 2032,” the governing body stated on Friday. “UEFA will now work with FIGC and TFF to ensure that the documentation to be submitted for their joint bid is compliant with the bidding requirements.”
Alliance makes sense despite distance between two nations
The partnership would seemingly make sense from an infrastructure standpoint. Italy is in desperate need of a massive overhaul of its main stadiums. This includes the San Siro in Milan. The process to renovate these major arenas will obviously take lots of time and money.
However, Turkey’s lineup of significant stadiums is in much better shape. This is thanks to a lengthy renovation project that has occurred over the last 20 years. The Middle Eastern nation also has had a recent history of failed tournament bids. Joining Italy would strengthen Turkey’s position as a major competition host. Turkey has also been interested in holding the 2028 Euros. However, the bid will likely go to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Nevertheless, Rome and Ankara are over 1,300 miles apart.
Italy and Turkey interest in Euro 2032 is latest joint move for tournament
Selecting multiple countries to host major soccer tournaments has become more prevalent in recent years. Austria and Switzerland teamed up to host the 2008 Euros, while Poland and Ukraine also co-hosted the following European tournament. The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup as well.
Voting for the 2032 Euro host takes place in France in mid-October. Germany is hosting the 2024 edition of the competition next summer after beating out Turkey in a vote five years ago.
