France to Host 2016 Euro Championships

UEFA President Michel Platini announces that France will stage the UEFA Euro 2016 European soccer championships, during the annoucement, at the Espace Hippomene in Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES

France have beaten Turkey and Italy for the right to stage the European Championship in 2016.

France previously staged the tournament in 1960 and were hosts again in 1984, winning it with a team captained by Michel Platini, the Uefa president.

Euro 2016 will feature 24 countries playing 51 matches over one month, the BBC reported.

The French government has pledged to help guarantee the projected EUR 1.7 B cost of building and renovating stadiums.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former national team star Zinedine Zidane supported their country's case in a presentation to Uefa's ruling executive in Geneva on Friday.

France, who have also hosted two World Cups, will become the first country to stage the European Championship three times.

It will also be the first time 24 countries will contest the tournament, up from 16 in 2012, when Poland and the Ukraine will be joint hosts.

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