Aston Villa has been given the green light to expand Villa Park after England submitted a joint bid with Ireland to host the 2028 UEFA European Football Championship.
In June, Aston Villa — the 20th-most valuable soccer team at $750 million, per Forbes — announced plans for upgrades at Villa Park, the Premier League club’s home field since 1897. Aston Villa allowed local residents and businesses to weigh in on the renovations via survey.
The upgrades, which include increasing Villa Park’s capacity from 42,600 to more than 50,000, have been approved by the Birmingham City Council — where Villa Park is located.
- Increasing capacity allows the venue to host major tournaments, including the Euros.
- Villa Park’s current capacity ranks it as the eighth-largest stadium in the Premier League.
- Aston Villa plans to invest more than $122 million into the first phase of upgrades.
The Lions — which currently sit at No. 12 out of 20 clubs in the Premier League standings — have planned upgrades at Villa Park amid increased demand by fans to attend matches.
Before the 2022-23 season, the club had 25,000 fans on its season-ticket waitlist, despite being one of 11 Premier League clubs that raised its season-long ticket prices.
Bid Delay
In March, England submitted a joint bid to host the 2028 Euros with Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The group is competing with Turkey to host the tournament.
England’s joint bid has recently been under fire by UEFA over a delay in guarantees regarding airports, tax exemptions, and stadium use.
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