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The nine venues for Euro 2028 have had the number of matches it will host confirmed, with Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium set to stage five matches, including a potential England fixture.
However, Liverpool's iconic Anfield was conspicuously absent from the initial list of selected stadiums for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
It was officially announced in October 2023 that the UK and Ireland had successfully won their bid to host Euro 2028, and now further details have been revealed. The tournament is scheduled to kick off in Cardiff on June 9, with the final set to take place at Wembley a month later on July 9.
In contrast to when England hosted the World Cup in 1966 and the Euros in 1996, where all home games were played at Wembley, this time around, the Three Lions could find themselves playing fixtures in Manchester and Newcastle.
The confirmed venues for the tournament include Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium, Villa Park, Newcastle's St James' Park and Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Completing the list are Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Despite Liverpool being a host city, the club's legendary Anfield Stadium was not included in the list submitted to UEFA.
This may come as a surprise to some, considering the stadium has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years, boosting its capacity to over 61,000.
The reason for its exclusion remains the same obstacle that has historically ruled it out from staging Champions League or Europa League finals - the dimensions of the playing surface.
UEFA's regulations explicitly stipulate that "the field of play must have the standard dimensions of 105m by 68m."
Anfield's pitch measures just 101 metres in length, rendering it unsuitable as a host venue.
The ground last featured in a major tournament during Euro 1996, when England served as hosts, accommodating Group C fixtures involving Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, alongside a quarter-final clash between France and the Netherlands.
Nevertheless, it will play no part in Euro 2028. Instead, Everton's 52,769-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium will fly the flag for Merseyside on the continental stage.
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