Sports
Anfield and Old Trafford Will Not Host Euro 2028 Matches
The UK and Ireland joined forces to submit a bid to host the Euro 2028 Championship, and UEFA has since confirmed their selection as hosts. However, while this week’s announcement regarding the chosen stadiums – and particularly which venues England will play in, should they qualify – might have been expected to drum up further anticipation, the reaction has been somewhat underwhelming.
Wembley Stadium will, of course, take centre stage, hosting the final and several knockout matches. Glasgow’s Hampden Park, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, and the new grounds of Everton and Tottenham will also feature among the venues. Elsewhere, should the Three Lions qualify directly, they are set to begin their first European Championship campaign under Thomas Tuchel at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. See the full list of stadiums below:
Surprisingly, though, two major stadiums have missed out on hosting duties: Liverpool’s iconic Anfield and Manchester United’s high-capacity but ageing Old Trafford. While their omissions seem bizarre, explanations have since emerged for both.
Why Anfield Won’t Host Any Euro 2028 Matches
Anfield is one of the biggest absentees from the final stadium submission, with the ground known for its incredible atmosphere and history. But regulations set out by UEFA state that for a pitch to host tournament games, the dimensions must be 105 metres by 68 metres – and, unfortunately, Anfield falls short by 4 metres.
It’s the proximity of the stands that prevents Liverpool from extending the pitch to suit the football organisation’s parameters, according to the Liverpool Echo. This is, however, not breaking news and has become a regular occurrence for the Merseyside club. Neither the Champions League nor the Europa League are able to host their respective finals at Anfield for the same reason, and it also explains why the England national team has not stepped foot on the hallowed turf since 2006.
Anfield was last used for a major tournament when England hosted Euro 1996, staging Group C matches involving Italy, Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as a quarter-final between France and the Netherlands. But it will be their rival’s new stadium that will bear the torch for Merseyside, with Everton’s 52,769-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium hosting matches instead.
Indeed, this means the smaller venue has been picked, but the rules are the rules, and Liverpool supporters will likely be unfussed by the omission considering the region’s general disinterest in international football.
Old Trafford Won’t Be Used At Euro 2028 Either
Although the Theatre of Dreams has been in need of some TLC in recent years – with videos of its leaky roof going viral after heavy rain made the Red Devils’ home resemble a waterfall – Old Trafford remains a major part of England’s tourism appeal. Fans travelling to the UK in three years’ time will likely be disappointed that they won’t be able to watch a game at the historic venue.
However, unlike Anfield, which is ineligible due to its pitch size, Old Trafford’s exclusion comes down to uncertainty over its readiness for the tournament. According to the Manchester Evening News, although the stadium was initially shortlisted by the Football Association (FA) in their proposal to UEFA, Manchester United had already made their redevelopment plans clear.
When the preliminary bid became public in November 2022, United were working under the assumption that Old Trafford would be available to host Euro 2028 matches. But following discussions between the 13-time Premier League champions and the FA, both parties agreed it was best to withdraw the venue from consideration, as there was no guarantee the stadium – located in Greater Manchester – would be fit to host games.
Since then, the club has shifted its focus from restoring the current stadium to a much larger redevelopment of the entire Old Trafford site. The new vision centres on building a larger, state-of-the-art stadium with a proposed capacity of around 100,000. However, with no confirmed timeline for construction, the future of Man United’s home remains uncertain.
British No.1 Emma Raducanu has been spotted enjoying some time off with a new love interest in Battersea Park, and it has come to light that her new ‘boyfriend’ has undergone some significant personal heartbreak over the years.
The 23-year-old tennis star was photographed with 32-year-old public relations executive John Friend on a park bench and the pair appeared to be comfortable in each other’s company, even sharing an embrace.
They are rumoured to be dating, and it is hoped that the relationship will add some stability for the 2021 US Open champion after some turbulent years with injuries and coaching changes.
Who is Emma Raducanu’s New Boyfriend
Friend is the director of his own public relations company, JSGF, and previously served in the British Army as a paratrooper in the elite 4 Para reserve regiment.
Earlier in life, he attended the prestigious private Harrow School in London. He’s also said to have connections to British tennis as his father reportedly served as a committee member on the Queen’s Club real tennis committee. Raducanu finished as the runner-up at this year’s Queen’s.
Raducanu’s Boyfriend’s Personal Tragedy
In 2022, Friend’s brother Will died at the age of 33 after being struck by lightning in the United States.
Will had been living in the US at the time, and it occurred while he was boating near Masonboro Island in North Carolina. Paramedics attended the scene, but they were unfortunately unable to revive him.
The incident attracted media coverage at the time as Will was married to actress Bevin Prince, who is best known for playing Bevin Mirskey on the series One Tree Hill. The couple had been married since 2016.
In 2018, Friend also lost his mother to breast cancer, and in 2024, his other brother also passed away aged 33. After the death of his mother, the family formed a charity in her memory to raise money for Action Against Cancer.
Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon Heartbreak
Raducanu just yesterday withdrew from Wimbledon after scans revealed she had a stress fracture in her lower leg.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but sadly I’ve had to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon,” she confirmed on her Instagram page.
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“I’ve done everything possible to try to get to the start line tomorrow, but after a final scan tonight, the niggle I’ve been managing has developed into a stress fracture.
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“Playing at Wimbledon, in front of a home crowd, means everything to me, so this is really difficult to process.”
Despite her withdrawal from the tournament, she has secured a £40,000 pay day.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is set to be sold this summer with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool among the teams interested, but Lille are hoping for a one-year loan-back or pre-agreement to try and keep the player with them for an extra year.
GMS understands Lille want a minimum of €80m for the Moroccan midfielder, but that price could rise to €100m+ for clubs seeking an immediate sale. Bouaddi has also been tracked by PSG, but the French champions are currently prioritising adding an attacker, with Yan Diomande their top priority.
Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all interested in the 18-year-old, who has impressed so far at the World Cup, including in Morocco’s opening draw with Brazil.
GMS understands Manchester City are one of Bouaddi’s most active suitors, but Lille anticipate several approaches after the World Cup. City want to add another midfielder, even after the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal are also intent on signing a new midfielder. Along with Bouaddi, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Alex Scott are all on their radar.
Manchester United will sign at least one more midfielder following the arrival of Ederson from Atalanta. The club are in talks with West Ham over Mateus Fernandes, and face competition from Spurs. Scott and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba are two other options.
And Liverpool could reinforce in central midfield, especially if Curtis Jones or Alexis Mac Allister are sold. The former has drawn interest from Inter and Nottingham Forest, but clubs must meet a £40m asking price.
Chelsea are another Premier League club assessing the midfield market and have seen a £8m bid rejected for Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka. And Spurs want to sign two midfielders, with West Ham’s Fernandes and Tonali two active deals they are working on.
Bouaddi has already made 96 appearances for Lille across three seasons having come through the club’s Academy. In January 2026, he became the youngest player to make 50 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille, breaking a record previously held by Eden Hazard.
Lille are aware he will be difficult to keep hold of, but are hoping to strike a deal seeing the teenager stay for one more year.
A breakdown of prices has been revealed for classic food and drink items at Wimbledon this year, including the iconic punnet of strawberries and cream, and a glass of Pimms.
Strawberries and cream are the delicacy most synonymous with Wimbledon, and are believed to have been served at the tournament as early as the Victorian era, when they were only available in the country for a few weeks in summer.
The price of this seasonal snack has always remained affordable, but has risen this year by 15p to £2.85.
The classic treat was held at £2.50 for 14 years between 2010 and 2024, rising to £2.70 last year before another slight increase for 2026.
Another British classic strongly associated with Wimbledon is Pimms, a gin-based liquor usually topped with lemonade and filled with fruit and herbs such as strawberries, cucumber, oranges, lemon, and fresh mint.
The summer garden party staple was first served at Wimbledon in 1971 when the tournament opened its first Pimms dedicated bar, and every year well over 80,000 pints are drunk by spectators.
This year, one glass will reportedly set you back £13.45, up £1.20 from last year, meaning a combo of the two Wimbledon classics will cost £16.30.
Price jumps are happening across the beverage menu too, with a pint of Wimbledon’s lager sponsor, Stella, reported at £8.95, up 10p from last year.
Champagne drinkers are not safe from inflation either, with a mini bottle of Lanson Le Rose rising by £1.50 to £31.35, while a full-sized bottle is priced at a whopping £102, up £1.10 from the previous year. However, the price of a refillable bottle of Evian water will remain unchanged at £5.
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The Brit had to withdraw from the Grand Slam the night before it was set to get underway.
A spokesperson for the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) told The Sun: “Food and drink inflation continues to be a challenge nationwide, and we are not immune.
“However, we pride ourselves on creating a menu that utilises British, seasonal produce to keep costs to a minimum wherever possible, and offering a variety of food and drink to help ensure there is an option for every budget.”
To limit your spending, Wimbledon also allows spectators to bring their own drinks, with each person restricted to the equivalent of either one bottle of wine or Champagne (750ml), two cans of beer/lager (500ml each), or two cans of premixed aperitifs.
The tournament runs from the 29th of June, through to the 12th of July, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in SW19.
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