EURO 2028 investment to grow economy

Tournament will benefit Scotland’s communities.

Scottish Government investment of up to £73 million will go into co-hosting the UEFA European Championships in 2028.

Glasgow’s Hampden Park will be one of nine football grounds in eight cities to host matches as part of the largest sporting event jointly staged by the UK and Ireland with around three million tickets expected to go on sale.

Attracting a worldwide audience, the benefits to Scotland are estimated to be worth around £270 million.

Scottish Government funding includes £3.2 million for projects to help local communities as part of a wider UK and Ireland partner social impact fund of around £45 million. This will include programmes to enable more people to participate in the game – especially those from underrepresented groups and in less advantaged communities.

Funding will also cover delivery of the tournament in Scotland, security costs and some upgrades to Hampden to ensure compliance with UEFA’s requirements.

Ahead of the tournament’s official launch, First Minister John Swinney met children at the Scottish Football Association’s Extra Time programme in Castlemilk, Glasgow, which provides free activity clubs for primary age pupils outside of school hours to support families on low incomes.

Our investment in EURO 2028 will bring significant benefits not only during the tournament but long after it concludes by creating jobs, driving regional prosperity and encouraging visitors to our shores.

This spectacle of European football’s finest will bring communities together and offer a fresh opportunity to provide a warm Scottish welcome, deliver vibrant celebrations and reinforce our global reputation for hospitality.

With funding going into health and wellbeing programmes across Scotland, the EUROs can be a force for good in tackling inequalities and supporting communities.

The Scottish Government has already invested £5.5 million in the Extra Time programme – and I’ve seen what a huge difference that has made to children and families in Scotland. I’m pleased we are able to provide further benefits to local communities by being a part of this once-in-a-generation event.

– FIRST MINISTER JOHN SWINNEY

Background

The UEFA European Championship, also referred to as EURO, is a four-yearly tournament held between the member countries of UEFA. It is second in prestige to the FIFA World Cup in international men’s football tournaments.

The Scottish Parliament this week passed Stage 1 of the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill to put in place certain commercial protections to allow Scotland to co-host the tournament. Scotland must meet UEFA’s requirements for protecting commercial rights – conditions applied to all host nations. While some protections exist, additional legislation is required.

So the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill focuses on three areas:

• Prohibiting unauthorised sale of tickets for more than face value or for profit.
• Restricting unauthorised street trading and advertising within designated event zones.
• Providing enforcement powers to implement these protections effectively.