Wembley to Host Euro 2020 Finals

Wembley to Host Euro 2020 Finals

The schedule for UEFA’s ambitious Euro 2020 is out and it is learnt that London’s iconic Wembley will host the semi-finals and the grand final. Over 50 UEFA members applied for this time to get a chance to host the first ever pan-Europe tournament.

Along with Wembley, Munich and Rome are other cities who have hosted a final in previous editions are also a part of this European extravaganza. The other host cities that will hold three group games and a last 16 game are Copenhagen (Denmark), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary) and Brussels (Belgium).

The 13 host associations, selected from 19 applications, are:

England/London – semi-finals and final
Azerbaijan/Baku – three group games, one quarter-final
Belgium/Brussels – three group games, one round of 16 game
Denmark/Copenhagen – three group games, one round of 16 game
Germany/Munich – three group games, one quarter-final
Hungary/Budapest – three group games, one round of 16 game
Italy/Rome – three group games, one quarter-final
Netherlands/Amsterdam – three group games, one round of 16 game
Republic of Ireland/Dublin – three group games, one round of 16 game
Romania/Bucharest – three group games, one round of 16 game
Russia/Saint Petersburg – three group games, one quarter-final
Scotland/Glasgow – three group games, one round of 16 game
Spain/Bilbao – three group games, one round of 16 game

English FA chairman, Greg Dyke was delighted by this announcement and said,

"This bidding process was open to more than 50 Uefa countries so for Wembley to be recognised in this way is testament to a lot of hard work behind the scenes."

England will not be able to bid for Euro 2024.

"There is no agreement other than we will not bid for 2024, as we wouldn't get it," Dyke said.  

UEFA President Michel Platini was delighted with the response generated. He emphasised that this is a pilot project by UEFA and wil mostly be a one off tournament to mark 60th anniversary of UEFA. Platini said:

"This is a historic moment because we'll be able to bring this competition to all the countries of Europe and especially to countries that would never otherwise have the chance to host such a competition."