The European body of football, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is planning for an expansion of the European Championship after the major success of Euro 2020.
Initially, 16 teams fought for the European glory but the governing body changed it to 24 events from the 2016 UEFA Euro staging in France. But now, it is reported that a new format of 32 teams is being considered for the 2028 Euros.
However, this format will be reviewed thoroughly before implementation and it will be assessed before Euro 2028 hosts bidding begins. Germany will be hosting the 2024 edition of the European Championship.
If 8 more teams are added to the existing competition then 32 of its 55 member nations will be contesting the European Championship from 2028.
However, this may affect the tournament in future as more than half of the registered countries of UEFA would be making the final cut which could further affect the value of the tournament.
The expansion of the UEFA competition will also lead to the expansion in the number of teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico from 32 teams to 48 teams.
Some of them think that the 24 team format is also problematic as the elite sides will have an upper hand over the other teams and their qualification will be certain.
Meanwhile, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has said that this new format of multiple venues won’t be repeated in the future as it is all across Europe and it places a strain on the tournament, players and fans.
He told the BBC that “I would not support it anymore. “In a way, it is not correct that some teams have to travel more than 10,000km while others have to only travel 1,000km.”
He also added further that it is an interesting format but it is difficult to implement.
The Euro 2028 bidding process will begin in 2023 and Italy are planning on bidding for the hosting rights but its stadiums would require a significant investment. Even Turkey could return with another bid as they missed out on a chance in 2012 and 2016.