Newcastle United's bold stadium bid

The club and Newcastle United City Council want St James’s Park to be a host stadium for Euro 2028 – if the tournament is staged by the UK and Republic of Ireland.

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “This is fantastic news for the city. The tournament is viewed by three billion people worldwide, and hosting it would put Newcastle on an international stage – and bring significant social and economic benefits to the city.

“At this stage, the FA have requested an early response from bidding cities that they can commit to meeting the requirements necessary to qualify as a potential host city. The process is extremely competitive, as we go up against many other leading football cities."

St James’s Park has previously hosted games at Euro 1996 and the 2012 London Olympics. England also played fixtures at the 52,000-capacity stadium, the eighth largest in the country, while Wembley was being rebuilt.