Euro 2028: Reasons Anfield Will Not Be a Host Stadium

The iconic home of Liverpool FC, Anfield, is a notable absentee from UEFA's confirmed list of stadiums for the 2028 Euro 2028.

The tournament's opening match is set to take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, while Wembley will host the semi-finals and the final.

Among the selected English club stadiums are Everton's newly built Hill Dickinson Stadium, Aston Villa's Villa Park, Tottenham Hotspur's North London ground, Newcastle's St. James' Park, and Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

Despite extensive renovations to the Anfield Road Stand, a pitch dimension issue is the reason the Reds' stadium has been excluded from hosting not only this international tournament but also UEFA club competition finals.

UEFA regulations state that "the playing field must have standard dimensions of 105 by 68 meters." However, Anfield's pitch is four meters shorter than required.

Due to the close proximity of the Anfield Road and Kop stands, there is no possibility of extending the pitch, meaning the stadium's status will remain unchanged in the future.

Anfield last hosted a major tournament during Euro 1996, when it welcomed Group C matches involving Italy, Russia, and the Czech Republic, as well as a quarter-final clash between France and the Netherlands.

Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's home ground, suffers from a similar issue, with the Blues' pitch measuring 103 by 67 meters. This stadium has never hosted a major tournament match but was used for England national team fixtures in the early 20th century.

However, neither of these stadiums has the smallest pitch in the Premier League. That distinction belongs to Fulham, whose Craven Cottage pitch is a mere 100 meters long and 65 meters wide.

Another historic stadium not considered by UEFA for Euro 2028 is Old Trafford. Manchester United's home ground was excluded due to its outdated infrastructure and lack of recent renovations. In 2023, United released a statement confirming they were "unable to provide the necessary assurances" for the stadium to be included in the British-Irish bid.