Euro 2028: Hampden to get 'realistic' upgrade as update given on stadium and lowest ticket prices

Hampden Park will be given a “realistic” upgrade for Euro 2028 after the Scottish national football stadium was confirmed as a host venue.

UEFA approved the UK and Ireland bid to stage the European Championships in five years time on Tuesday in Nyon, Switzerland, with ten stadia being submitted by the five nations – Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, Villa Park, Bramley-Moore Dock, St James’ Park, Hampden , the Aviva Stadium, a redeveloped Casement Park and the Principality Stadium. It has not been confirmed how many matches will be held in Glasgow but Scottish Football Association chief executive Ian Maxwell says the country will be ready to host such an iconic event and that while Hampden will not undergo a complete facelift, “tweaks” will be made to make sure it is in good shape by the time the event comes around.

“Hampden Park is the national stadium, it is world-famous for hosting matches,” Maxwell said. “We are in UEFA house today and there’s a video clip in the background showing Zinedine Zidane scoring in the Champions League final, which is an iconic moment that everyone remembers and associates with Hampden. As the Scottish Football Association, we want to see games played at the national stadium, that’s the only fitting place to hold such a prestigious event.”

Asked whether Hampden – which was a host venue for the delayed Euro 2020 championships – will require work to bring it up to speed ahead of the tournament, Maxwell continued in an interview with Sky Sports: “There will be changes made to the stadium in terms of preparation for Euro 2028. We need to be realistic about what those are, there will be tweaks and upgrades rather than anything substantial, because it is important that we use the income and the interest that this will generate to help the game across the country for future generations. Hampden is a stadium that will host these games and host them really well, but we need to look at the infrastructure across Scottish football to make sure we advance that.”

Hampden Park is one of the host cities for Euro 2028.

Hampden has a capacity of just over 52,000 and is the third smallest venue that will be used during the tournament. It hosted group matches and a last-16 tie between Ukraine and Sweden at Euro 2020.

Meanwhile, bid leaders have promised Euro 2028 will be accessible and affordable, with the tournament set to bring £2.6billion in benefits to the host economies, according to analysts. English Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said it was vital that the tournament be open to as many people from the five nations as possible and along with fan-zone sites and training grounds in other locations, Bullingham said the task was to ensure no-one feels cut off from the action, regardless of location or financial means.

“You’ve seen the selected stadia are spread throughout the whole of the country, so everyone has an event within touching distance,” Bullingham said in Nyon on Tuesday. “It is critical that the whole country feels they are involved and we have that excitement throughout every part of the country.” Tickets for Euro 2024 start at 30 euros (£26) and, asked about how important it was to ensure affordability, Bullingham added: “We will absolutely always do that. We want the whole country to be engaged and experience being part of the Euros.”

Bullingham confirmed all five countries would enter qualification, with UEFA having reserved two ‘safety net’ places for any that miss out.

The Glasgow venue hosted matches at Euro 2020 - including this last-16 tie between Sweden and Ukraine.

Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf has said the legacy of Scotland hosting the Euro 2028 tournament could be a “massive boon” for the economy, claiming that the legacy of the tournament may be “really extensive”, with fans from around the continent coming to Glasgow. Mr Yousaf said: “Scotland has hosted major sporting events and done so really well. And why I’m really excited about Euro 2028 year coming to Scotland, and of course the UK nations and Ireland, is that the economic benefit and most importantly the sporting legacy could be really extensive. As a football fan I can’t wait.”

He said he would keep MSPs updated in the plans for investment, saying: “The economic impact of fans coming from across Europe, probably across the world, to enjoy Euro 2028 could be a massive boon for our economy. And of course at a time when, absolutely no doubt, we could need it.” He added: “Given Scotland’s current form, I look forward to Scotland defending its European title come Euro 2028.”