UEFA have confirmed that the UK & Ireland have been joined by both Russia and Turkey in submitting bids to host Euro 2028.
The UK & Ireland had initially been expected to be the only bid for the competition, only for Russia to surprisingly throw its hat into the ring and voice an intention to host a tournament in either 2028 or 2032.
Now, UEFA have confirmed that Turkey also made a bid before the deadline on March 23.
Alongside Russia, Turkey has bid to host either in 2028 or 2032, whereas the UK & Ireland are solely focused on the former.
Italy also submitted a bid to host Euro 2032.
Those nations will now be tasked with meeting UEFA’s criteria for holding the tournament, with a final decision on both the 2028 and 2032 competitions to be made in September 2023.
News of the Russian bid has been met with much confusion, given the country is currently leading a war against neighbouring Ukraine.
According to The Guardian, the bid has not gone down well with UEFA, who have warned Russia that there could be more sanctions imposed on the country if it goes ahead with its proposal.
The Russian Football Union remains an active part of UEFA and has not been hit with any sanctions, but the suggestion is that their membership could be put on hold if they continue with their proposal.